


First Comes Love

by annie174



Series: Logan and Veronica Sitting in a Tree [1]
Category: Veronica Mars - All Media Types
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-09
Updated: 2018-10-28
Packaged: 2019-07-10 08:59:10
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 25,759
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15946055
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/annie174/pseuds/annie174
Summary: Post-MKAT; Logan is home and has a question for Veronica.  Or more of a statement.  A command really...





	1. Monday

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to everyone for your lovely notes on my first VM fic "Wardrobe Malfunction" that I submitted for the Smut-a-thon and thanks to everyone else who wrote super steamy fics, I loved them all. 
> 
> This is the beginning of a multi-story future fic that is hopefully mostly domestic bliss, but I want to write my version before Rob Thomas shifts cannon with the exciting new series on Hulu. 
> 
> Chapters will be added every Sunday for this first story which takes place over 7 days starting with Logan's return from his last deployment in the books.

Monday

“Marry me.” 

The first words out of Logan’s mouth when Veronica finds him in a sea of uniforms as the carrier empties momentarily stops her in her tracks.

“Logan,” it was part exasperation, part relief, part joy as Veronica sighed his name while she gave in and melted in to his arms, finding his lips as warm and responsive as always.

“I love you so much, Veronica,” he held her close, spoke against her temple, the words vibrating against the tender skin there.

“I love you too,” she said with rare ease, the words so present on her mind and on her tongue.

“Thanks, Mouth,” a young guy passed by as Veronica stepped out of Logan’s grasp and took his left hand in hers.

“Good tour, Peewee,” Logan offered his right hand to the man, Veronica just smiled shyly and tucked in closer to Logan’s side and waved awkwardly as the young guy headed off toward a large crowd of family.

“I got a room,” she said as she tugged him towards the parking area and his car.

“Where’s Pony?” he asked with a frown.

“With my dad, but if you would rather go see her we could skip the room service and nonstop sex and go have dinner with my dad,” Veronica batted her eyelashes up at him without breaking her stride towards the car.

“I do miss your dad,” Logan mused.

“I’ve already checked in. I unpacked. It didn’t take long, I didn’t bring any clothes…”

“How far is this hotel room?” Logan smiled.

“Not far at all,” she assured him as they dumped his bag in the back of the convertible.

They valeted the car at the hotel and whizzed through the lobby -- Veronica was grateful she got to San Diego early enough to check in as the idea of waiting in the current line at the front desk seemed like genuine torture when all she wanted was to be alone with Logan for a couple days.

“I asked you a question earlier?” Logan mentioned as the elevator doors closed, his hands sliding along her hips and tugging her close enough to kiss, chastely lest another person join them in the lift.

“Really? I only remember a statement, more of a command really,” Veronica’s own hands were moving up and over his shoulders. It seemed impossible that he could be even more muscled than when he left, but he definitely felt more defined.

“Veronica Mars, love of my life, will you please marry me?” he punctuated each word with a kiss as the elevator doors dinged their arrival on the 22nd floor.

“We’re here,” she tugged him out of the elevator and towards the corner suite at the end of the hall.

The room was nice, but not very fancy, the hotel was more of a business hotel than a vacation spot, but it had a lovely living room and a huge bed and a gorgeous bathroom with a tub big enough for the both.

“You haven’t said no,” he pointed out as he dropped his bag by a closet.

“I have no intention of saying no, but I do think we should talk about it when we are both not sex-starved and exhausted and hungry,” Veronica reasoned.

“You are so romantic,” he pinched her cheek before kissing her deeply, his lips slipping off a bit because he was grinning so hard at her basically agreeing to marry him.

“That’s me, Hallmark card in human form, Veronica Mars,” she was smiling too, but the kiss became more important than the proposal and Veronica managed to shuffle them to the foot of the bed.

“I need you, Veronica,” his voice was so rich and deep and tinged with just the slightest desperation and she knew he didn’t just mean physically and it made her tremble.

She could tell he noticed her shiver, but he didn’t say anything just held her close and soothed a hand along her back until she felt his heart beat speed up against her cheek and heard his breath quicken as his body responded to being surrounded by her smell.

She pulled back enough to kiss him again and set to work on unbuttoning his uniform top as he did the same with the black skirt she had on. He knew she wore it for him, it was the short pencil skirt that made both her legs and ass look amazing. He had several photos of her wearing it on his phone and had flipped through them on more than one lonely night on the ship. 

They had to break the kiss to get her shirt and his tee shirt off over their heads, but as soon as the offending fabric was gone their lips were right back together, Veronica’s hair in both their mouths as she fought to sweep it back. 

When they got down to their underwear Veronica scuttled up on to the bed and tugged him after her as she stretched out on her back and encouraged him to stretch over her, to rest his weight on her, to let her feel his presence where she had so desperately missed it.

“God, you are so beautiful,” Veronica said as she finally got a look at him.

“That’s my line,” he nipped at her collar bone.

“Seriously, you are gorgeous,” she ran her fingertips along his bicep and he gasped against her skin.

“I intend to catalog every inch of you anew, but right now I just really need to be inside you,” he admitted.

“We’ll have plenty of time for slow,” she brought her feet up to push at his boxers with her toes as he deftly found the clasp on her bra with one hand and tugged at her underwear with the other.

“Veronica,” he moaned as her hand found him ready for her.

She didn’t tease him, she had no grounds, she was as ready as he was and so instead of her typical witty retort she just guided him in as her eyes locked with his. Logan made a move to flip them and she stilled him with a hand on his shoulder.

“Like this. I want to feel you on top of me. I need to,” her voice was already reedy with desire and it nearly undid him, he just nodded and moved inside her, slow and deep and with a level of control that astounded him.

Veronica arched against every touch, every thrust and soon the room was full of gasps and moans. Veronica came quickly, she had practically come while they were still dressed, and that increased Logan’s need exponentially. He moved faster and harder and the more he gave the more Veronica wanted.

“Yes! There! More, God Logan, right there,” she moaned as her back arched in a shorter but brighter orgasm that left her panting.

Logan slid his arms under her slick back and sat her up as he kneeled back on his heels, they were still face-to-face and so close their bodies slid against each other as Logan increased his pace even more, pulling Veronica on to him with every thrust, her name and God’s a running mantra until he slipped a hand between them to touch her just right and she came again, shuddering so much around him that he couldn’t hold on any more, so he let go and kissed her, all teeth and tongue and sweet words of love.

They collapsed in a sweaty tangle of limbs and Logan scrambled to pull the blankets back and maneuver them underneath, wrapping his body around Veronica’s and cocooning them against the chill of the hotel air conditioning.

“That was…” Veronica shook her head in awe.

“Phenomenal?” Logan offered.

“I was going to say adequate…” she grinned and nipped at his arm closest to her mouth.

“OK, Ms. 3 orgasms in 15 minutes, I’ll show you adequate later,” he yawned.

“Go to sleep, Don Juan,” she turned in his arms and kissed him softly, curling herself against his chest.

It was only 5:00 pm, but a little nap sounded good to Veronica, especially one in Logan’s arms.

When Logan woke, he was alone. He rooted around in their pile of shed clothing for his boxers and went in search of Veronica. He found her unloading a pile of food from a room service cart, she was wearing the hotel robe and trying to make room on the large coffee table.

“Did you get one of everything?” he leaned against the door jam, his formidable arms crossed over his magnificent chest.

“I wasn’t sure what you’d want, and I didn’t have the heart to wake you, so I got several things…like tapas only, you know, entire entrees instead of small plates,” she smiled, and he noticed her face was scrubbed free of make-up and she looked impossibly young in the giant hotel robe.

“I feel under dressed,” he glanced down at his barely-covered body.

Veronica tugged the robe off revealing his thin white cotton tee shirt and clearly nothing else. There was no way she wanted Logan putting on more clothes.

“Better,” he nodded.

“There’s steak and mashed potatoes, there is pasta with meatballs, there is a burger and fries, a cobb salad, three different kinds of dessert and a fruit and cheese plate. I got two bottles of sparkling water and a bottle of Malbec. Did you want a beer, there might be some in the mini bar…?” Veronica flitted around.

“Hey, hey, come here,” he reached for her, “this is amazing. Before this version of us, my homecomings generally involved a pizza that Dick had already started eating by the time I drove myself home.”

“I missed you,” she couldn’t seem to say it enough.

“I know, me too,” he led her to the couch and spread the bathrobe out for them to curl up on as he uncovered plates of food and placed them between them.

“It was worse this time, you know, because I had really gotten used to having you around and then I was so scared after what happened to Bilbo,” she picked up a fry and ate it delicately.

“I’m home for 18 months now and I got the assignment I wanted in San Diego, they won’t say it’s a thank you for taking this deployment, but it is,” he tried to find her eyes which were downcast.

“You were supposed to be home that long this last time.”

“I know, but you have to know that what just happened is incredibly rare, thank god,” he lifted her chin and saw the emotion there.

“I know this life is hard for the people who have to stay home, I’ve seen a lot of missed birthdays and Christmases wear on families. I’ve seen relationships that cannot survive it and you didn’t ask for this, you weren’t here when I made this leap, but I like to think it was the right leap and that the person I am today is in a much better position to love you than I ever was before.”

Veronica nodded quickly, her face awash with emotion.

“Eat your dinner, before it gets cold,” she smiled, and he smiled back.

They made a significant dent in the food and even Veronica had to surrender, her fork clanking against the nearly cleared plate of pasta.

“What, not ready for dessert?” Logan teased as he leaned back against the arm of the couch.

Veronica piled all the plates on to the floor and crawled on top of him with a graceless flop.

Logan ran his warm hand up and down her back soothingly and she purred.

“Do you think you can do this, Veronica? Manage the Navy life?” his voice was so quiet she almost missed it.

“I’m not going to lie about how hard these past few months were. I was on that case, the one I was working on when you left, with Leo and he said something about how good he & I are together. He tried to make it sound like he just meant working together, but I won’t deny that the thought did float through my mind that having someone who wasn’t flying fighter jets over who knows where might be easier.”

Logan didn’t say anything, but she felt his body tense underneath her.

“Nothing happened, and it truly wasn’t more than a second of doubt,” she held her thumb and finger just a breath apart, “and I quickly clarified that I was not looking for anything other than a work associate. I spiraled for a couple days. I felt so guilty. I hated myself for that instant of confusion, because I love you Logan. I know I am terrible at the talking part, although I feel like I’ve just delivered the Gettysburg Address, but I love you. More than I thought I was even capable of loving any one. I won’t be perfect, I’ll make mistakes and the other Navy spouses will probably hate me, but I am in Logan, for as long as you want me.”

“The other spouses?” he picked one word out of her entire soliloquy. 

“I believe there was a proposal earlier.”

“That you didn’t actually answer.”

“Yes, Logan, yes,” she crawled up enough to kiss him.

“Yes?” he pulled back to confirm.

“Yes.”

He kissed her hard and deep and she melted further into the few soft spots of his body, his hands slipping under her tee shirt.

“I want to make love to you again, but I am literally so full I can barely move,” he gave her a silly smile.

“How about a bath instead?” she dragged herself along the length of his body, stopping to kiss his hip and his thigh and his knee.

“My fiancé is so smart,” he grinned as she reached out and tugged him off the couch.

“You’re going to call me that all the time now, right?” she grinned.

“Until I can call you wifey,” he grinned back.

Veronica stripped off the tee shirt as they passed through the bedroom and walked in to the spacious bathroom completely nude.

“I like this version of you,” Logan leaned back against the sink as Veronica set about adjusting the water and adding the whole mini bottle of bubble bath.

“Mmmm, this isn’t too girly,” she sniffed the bubble bath and handed it over.

“What is bergamot?” Logan read the label.

“I don’t know, but it smells kind of manly,” she noted as she perched on the lip of the huge tub.

“You know I don’t mind smelling like flowers if it means I get to take a bath with you,” he tossed the empty bottle in the trash and turned back to the sink noticing 2 toothbrushes, “did you bring stuff for me?”

“Yeah, I packed you a shaving kit and some toiletries. I know your stuff is usually pretty depleted by the end of your tour,” she shrugged nonchalantly.

“Thanks, Veronica,” he smiled softly.

“It was nothing.”

“I haven’t had someone who cared. I mean Dick cares, but he’s, well, Dick.”

“You have people now, Logan. Not just me; my dad and Mac, even Wallace was moved by your decision to take Bilbo’s spot. They all asked me how you were when they knew we were supposed to talk.”

“That’s surreal.”

“They just want me to be happy and back, before, I wasn’t.”

“Because of me.”

“Not always, not entirely. I was unhappy about a lot of things, but they always assumed it was your fault. My dad was under the false assumption for a long time that you were the one who gave me chlamydia in high school,” Veronica admitted, and Logan looked horrified.

“I relieved him of that assumption a long time ago. Water’s ready,” she reached over and turned off the tap, swinging her legs over into the tub and lowering herself in to the steamy frothy water.

“No wonder your dad hated me,” Logan shook his head as he shed his boxers and slid in behind Veronica.

“What did you mean before when you said you liked this me?”

“You’re more comfortable in your body, you let me see you naked more, you talk more about your feelings and our relationship.”

“Hmmmm, I suppose that’s true.”

“Don’t get me wrong, you were never a prude and I was one lucky 19-year-old to have the opportunity to have sex with you, but when we finished you always put something on or worse, left all together.”

“For all my bravado, I was as insecure a 19-year-old girl as you would find. Normal stuff that often was overshadow by my abnormal lifestyle. I thought I was too skinny, not sexy enough and that if you actually looked at me outside of the haze of desire you would see I was not good enough for you.”

“I hate that you felt that way.”

“I don’t. It was the most normal of all my hang-ups and it made me realize when I was older and wiser how far I had grown up.”

“You know how much I want you, like all the time?” Logan already had some stubble at the end of the day and he rubbed his chin against her cheek and it made her tingle.

“Yeah, you are not very subtle,” she laughed and turned her warm damp cheek into his chest.

Logan chuckled, and she could feel it vibrate through his chest.

“When I was at Stanford I met a girl in a Psych class and we became study partners. She had a great boyfriend, a lacrosse player who was super smart and genuinely kind. Near the end of the semester I stopped by her room to drop off some notes, she had missed class and when she answered the door it was clear she had been crying.”

Logan had no idea where this story was going, but he held Veronica close and listened.

“She let me in, I thought she might just take the notes and slam the door, but she let me in. She told me that she had been raped at a party in high school and she couldn’t bring herself to have sex with her boyfriend. She just froze up and when he asked her what was wrong she couldn’t tell him and finally he broke up with her.”

“Oh Veronica,” Logan murmured against her hair which was curling in the humid bathroom.

“I’m so grateful that I have a healthy relationship with sex now, that I have a partner I trust with my body. You have to know, Logan, even when I didn’t trust you with my heart I always trusted you with my body. I was never afraid of you in bed.”

“And as good as that sex was back in college, what we have now is so much better. Better than younger us, better than anyone else ever,” she tilted her head back so she could see the sweet smile on his face and she kissed under his jaw and down his neck until she hit the water and blew bubbles against his chest.

“I love you,” he pulled her back up to capture her lips.

“I know you like the new talkative Veronica, but can we not talk for a while?”

Logan just nodded mutely and returned to the kissing.

They kissed for so long their fingers and toes were puckered and the water had cooled. Veronica shivered against him and he held her closer.

“Let’s go back to bed,” Logan murmured as he kissed along her neck and she tapped his head with her chin as she nodded.

Logan stood easily and helped her over the side of the tub, handing her a towel that was so large and plush it wrapped around her twice. Logan swiped another towel over his face and torso before tying it around his waist and picking Veronica up with ease and carrying her back to the rumpled bed. He tossed her towards the middle and she giggled as she bounced. He took the edge of her towel and pulled at it until she rolled out of it, ending up on her stomach, her face flushed with joy and her hair disheveled around her shoulders.

“Stay there,” he instructed as he moved to the foot of the bed, dropped his own towel and crawled on to the foot of the bed, starting at her feet he kissed his way up the back of her legs, letting his fingers tease along the inside and outside of her thighs. He heard her sigh and felt her muscles contract and release beneath his hands and tongue.

“Logan,” she breathed out his name as his mouth moved to her hip and nipped around to the small of her back, his hands and chest pressing in to her ass pressing her into the mattress.

“You smell good,” he kissed along the middle of her back, “I don’t know what bergamot is, but if it is a plant I think we should grow some.”

“I thought about getting some tomato plants,” she mentioned as she tried to reach back and touch him.

“Mmmm, fresh tomatoes,” he hummed against one shoulder, “roll over,” he asked as he held himself above her on his strong arms.

Veronica turned underneath him, seeing her own heightened desire reflected back in him. It had been nearly a half hour of kissing and touching, and knowing they had nowhere to be and could literally stay up all night rediscovering each other made her giddy.

“No one has ever made me feel as sexy as you do,” Veronica admitted as she rolled him on his back and swung one leg over his hips to settle on top of him.

“You are the sexiest woman I have ever known,” he looked up at her with glazed eyes.

“We both know that isn’t true,” she snorted.

He sat up then, dislodging her slightly and reaching up to grab her hips and hold her steady.

“Look at me,” he said forcefully, and she met his eyes, “sexy is not what someone looks like or how big their breasts are or how many people they have slept with. Sexy is confidence and intelligence and bravery. It is believing in something and fighting for something and wanting something. You are the sexiest person I have ever known,” Logan had positioned her perfectly, so he could emphasize his point with a definitive thrust that made her throw her head back and moan.

“You are responsive and vocal,” he said as she gritted his name out between her clenched teeth. He listened to the chorus of sounds she made, some soft and sweet and some hard and sharp as she moved on top of him, her eyes never leaving his.

“You give as good as you take,” he noted as she pressed him back flat and changed the angle, “and you…. fuck, Veronica, this is turning you on isn’t it,” he widened his eyes as she nodded and rode him harder.

“You let me know what feels good, you make me feel like a better lover by…” and then she came, hard and loud.

“Jesus, Logan,” she shook her head.

“Better than adequate?” he winked, and she shuddered, her body still reacting to his voice.

“You are sexy as hell, Veronica,” he leaned up to kiss her. 

“You make me sexy,” she said as she resumed moving on top of him.

“No, I don’t. I might make you comfortable enough to be your sexiest self, but this,” he ran his hands along her sides from under her breasts down to her hips, “is the real you.”

“I trust you,” she circled her hips on each downward thrust and Logan’s eyes rolled back in his head, “I let you see me at my most vulnerable. Orgasm is practically a biological imperative for men, it is not so automatic for women and…” she paused her words but not her movements and Logan opened his eyes again, saw her biting her bottom lip.

“What?” he asked tenderly.

“I had to fake it with other guys, the orgasm part, I wouldn’t actually let myself go enough to really feel it. I mean it was fine and it was still decent sex, but like I said earlier, nothing has ever been like us” she said with a serious look on her face.

“Let me get this straight, I am the only man who has ever made you cum,” he said each word through gritted teeth as he thrust hard, his lips finding one nipple to tease when he was done speaking.

“Yes,” Veronica squeaked in answer and in extasy as she came apart around him again.

“I’m close,” he admitted as he took in a deep breath.

Veronica leaned in to him and whispered in his ear, “after sex with other guys, I would be so frustrated I didn’t cum that I would slip in the shower and touch myself. I had to let myself remember you going down on me to get off. You’ve ruined me Logan Echolls, you are the only man I ever want to make love to,” she admitted earnestly and felt him empty himself inside her, felt his hips thrust over and over as if he couldn’t stop.

Veronica rolled off him, sweaty and sticky and breathing hard. He could see a tint of blush on her cheeks.

“This is sexy too,” he ran a finger along her cheek, “you still blush.”

“Only for you, only because I am so fucking honest when you are inside me. You turn me in to this girly ball of want and need,” she laughed.

“I want you and need you too,” he admitted with a yawn.

“Tired you out did I?” she rolled in to his side.

“You are a force, Bobcat. And I love it. I love you,” he kissed her head and curled her into him closer.

TBC…


	2. Tuesday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just how much has Veronica missed her man? Quite a bit it turns out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for the lovely notes on Chapter 1! Hope you enjoy Tuesday :)
> 
> I, of course, do not own Veronica, Logan or any of the gang, but i sure do love them all a lot!

Tuesday

When Logan woke the next time, Veronica was staring at him.

“Morning,” he grinned at the goofy look on her face.

“So, we are getting married,” she says by way of a greeting.

“Yes, I believe we sorted that out last night. Is it morning?” he looked toward the pulled drapes.

“Yes, six a.m.”

“Why are you awake, it’s so early,” he tugged her in to his embrace and closed his eyes.

“Wake up, buddy,” she poked him in the ribs and he opened his eyes with a frown.

“Oww.”

“Usually this sort of arrangement involves a ring of some sort,” Veronica waggled her ring-free fingers at him.

“Sure, I mean if we want to go full-traditional I could ask your father for a goat and a chest full of doubloons.”

Veronica looked up and mustered a pretty serious glare for six a.m.

“Would you like a ring, my lady?”

“Yeah, maybe not a big scary diamond, but something that says -- this sassy PI is off the market.”

“If it keeps Deputy Leo from propositioning you, I’ll buy you a ring for every finger and thumb,” he took her hand and kissed each fingertip before slipping her thumb into his warm wet mouth and making her moan.

“Keep that up and we aren’t going to be sleeping any time soon,” Veronica’s voice was deeper all of a sudden.

“Sleep is over rated,” Logan grinned as he rolled her under him.

It was sleepy and lazy and felt so good, their bodies were warm and soft, and they touched and kissed for so long that by the time Logan finally slid inside her, Veronica felt the familiar flutter in her stomach.

“Oh God,” she sighed in to his ear and he held her closer felt every tremor of her orgasm.

When he started to move against her again she clung to his shoulders and nibbled at his neck, she was unable to touch all the places she wanted to at once and her feet started exploring up the back of his calves in an effort to just feel more of him.

Despite her desire to touch him, they still went slow and gentle and Logan’s voice was so soft as he told her how good it felt, how much he loved her and when they were done and spent and panting slightly Veronica saw the tears in his eyes and wiped them away with her thumb.

“You’re home. You’re safe,” she kissed his forehead the way he had kissed hers so many times in their younger years.

“The first flight off the Truman was awful, I was genuinely scared in a way I hadn’t been since my first tour,” his voice was measured and calm, but she could feel tension in his shoulders.

“I didn’t have my regular WSO and I felt all out of sorts, but it was a day flight and the seas were relatively calm. I had made that take off and landing hundreds of times, but so had Bilbo.”

Veronica wanted to calm him, to ease his tension, but she really had no idea what to say, she had no idea what his life was like on the ship. They had talked about it a little after his first tour since their reunion, and she had met some of the guys at a couple events and of course the people she met at Bilbo’s funeral, the other wives and girlfriends who seemed so resigned to the reality of what their loved ones did every day.

“Did it get better?” she asked.

“It did,” he smiled softly, kissed her shoulder and pulled her closer, her back to his front as he continued to talk.

Logan was always a talker, but he rarely talked about the really hard things. He never talked about Aaron, he never talked about his mother’s suicide. Now he told her about life on the ship and the new people he worked with on this tour and the CO who made sure he got a little extra Skype time and that his packages from Veronica made it to his bunk as early as possible on mail days.

“I googled what to send you. I know I was a bitch before you left, you have to know I wasn’t being selfish, I was scared,” her voice was equally soft as if raising their voices to normal talking volume would break the spell.

“I know,” he squeezed her, “and I loved your packages, they were so quintessentially you. Even the standard stuff was Veronica-fied. Where on earth did you find Hello Kitty band aids? I received no less than 15 snide comments about my potential boo boos. I sometimes shared your Snickerdoodles with one of my bunkmates, he had just broken up with his girlfriend before he left, and he was the saddest sad sack I had ever seen, and, in the military, you see all kinds.”

“I ate so many Snickerdoodles baking them for you I started to not fit in to my pants,” Veronica admitted with a snort.

“Your body is amazing Veronica.”

“You have not actually seen me in pants yet,” she laughed and nipped at his wrist.

“If anything, there is less of you than I left here,” Logan moved his hands over her flat stomach and hips and over her taught ass.

“I started working out with Mac, that woman is a beast in the gym.”

“Maybe we can all work out together, now that I’m back.”

“I’m not sure either of us can compete with this,” she turned in his arms and traced the curve of his pecs and ticked down his six pack with her index finger, “you are like art, they carve sculptures of guys like you.”

“There’s a lot of downtime on the ship,” he shrugged modestly.

“I am not questioning or complaining,” she yawned.

“It’s really early still let’s sleep some more. You didn’t have any plans for the day, did you?” he snuggled deep into the pillow.

“This is the plan for the day. I will need food eventually, but I plan to do nothing but this: sleep, talk, touch, kiss and sex,” Veronica counted the items off on her fingers.

“This might be your best plan ever,” Logan kissed the top of her head

****

“Food…” Veronica murmured a little later in the morning, after another round of spontaneous sex and a short dozy nap.

“Yeah, my turn to order,” Logan said lazily as he made a half-hearted attempt to flail at the phone.

“I want…well, everything,” Veronica decided as she slipped from bed and padded to the bathroom.

Logan pulled himself up to sit back against the headboard and leaned over to the phone. He didn’t have a menu, but it was breakfast, there were only so many choices. He hit the button with the little covered dish icon that symbolized room service.

“Good Morning, room service,” a chipper woman answered.

“Good morning, we would like to order breakfast please,” Logan replied.

“Of course, Mr. Mars, what can I get for you?”

The room was in Veronica’s name, so of course they assumed his last name was hers, but it made him smile to think about them sharing a last name soon.

“We’re pretty hungry, so here goes: we need a large quantity of coffee and bottled water, a fruit plate, an omelet with every veggie you have and some swiss cheese, an order of eggs benedict, a large stack of pancakes with more syrup than you think we need and a side of bacon,” Logan ran over what he said to make sure it was enough, “and some I don’t know, croissants, do you have croissants?”

“We do, would you like butter and jam with those?” she seemed unfazed by the amount of food.

“Sure,” he shrugged, at this point what was a few more calories.

“Anything else we can get you?”

“No,” Logan laughed, “that should be enough.”

“Expect us within 30 minutes, have a nice day!”

Logan returned the sentiment and hung up the phone. Veronica emerged from the bathroom, still naked, but with her hair scraped back in a pony tail and her face pink from washing. She approached his side of the bed and climbed in on top of him, leaning in to kiss him.

“Mmmmmm, minty,” he noted as she hugged him, her head nuzzling in to his neck.

“Did you get pancakes?”

“I did, and bacon and eggs and fruit and coffee and croissants,” Logan listed as he wiggled them back down to a flat position, he turned on his side and Veronica wrapped her arms and legs around him like a monkey.

“Yummmmm,” she spoke against his neck and he giggled at the way it tickled.

“The room service lady called me Mr. Mars” he told her.

Veronica popped her head back to look at him, her eyes wide with glee.

“I know, maybe I should take your name, god knows mine has never done me any favors.”

“I don’t know, my dad kind of likes being Mr. Mars,” Veronica pointed out.

“True, I am taking his only daughter, I probably can’t take his name.”

“OK, Neanderthal, you are not taking me, we are joining in to a lifelong covenant, together, both of us.”

Logan just nodded and squeezed her tighter.

When the knock came to announce their breakfast both Logan and Veronica were on the cusp of sleep again. Logan startled awake and rolled Veronica off of him enough to slip out of bed, finding a robe to cover himself with and heading to the door.

Logan had cleaned up their dinner and loaded up the room service tray from last night late in the evening the night before, so he traded it with the young man who brought breakfast, adding a hefty gratuity to the bill and giving him a friendly smile.

Logan maneuvered the cart through the suite, right in to the bedroom and positioned it next to the bed on his side.

“Food?” Veronica said for the second time that morning in the cutest sleepiest voice.

“Yes, food,” he popped a strawberry in his mouth.

Veronica scooted up, the sheets pooling at her waist and reached out her hands with a grabby motion that made Logan laugh.

“You are topless and yet somehow ridiculous all at once, my brain can’t compute. Food or coffee?” he asked as he fixed her a cup.

“Mmmmm, coffee first,” she nodded and took the cup happily.

As they had the night before they laid out their feast and sat crossed legged across from each other, Logan in the gaping robe and Veronica barely covered by the sheet.

Logan took half the omelet and traded it with one of the English muffins with eggs benedict on it, he added a croissant slathered with butter and jam and handed it to Veronica. Then he doused the pancakes with syrup and cut them in to bite size pieces.

“There is no way we aren’t getting syrup on the sheets,” Veronica said around a mouthful of croissant.

“Ehh,” he shrugged, “not the worst situation.”

Veronica snorted at his casual nonchalance.

“How was your trip? How’s your Mom? Hunter?” Logan asked between bites of omelet.

Over a week ago, Logan had told Veronica that he would be out of communication for the remainder of the tour, except for an email the day before they docked when they were back in range. She hated those non-communication times the most, too much to worry about, so she mentioned she might go out to Arizona for a long weekend and visit Hunter.

“Good, I actually had some work in Arizona, a follow-up on a case I did a couple weeks before, so I went and stayed for 4 days.”

“Did you stay with them?”

“No,” Veronica shook her head and stabbed some pancakes with her fork, leaning over to avoid syrup drippage and giving him a lovely view of her breasts, “there was a decent Hampton Inn not far. I wasn’t ready, you know?”

“Yeah, it isn’t going to happen overnight, but it’s good you are trying, if only for Hunter.”

“I know, he’s innocent in all this, he misses his dad, but Lianne really seems to be doing good. She seems sober and she loves him, you know, I can just see it.”

“Well, you give her as much of yourself as you are comfortable with and then focus the rest on the little guy.”

“He wants to meet you so bad, my big strong Nay pilot boyfriend. I think he thought I made you up. I showed him pictures of you, in your uniform and everything and then I showed him one of both of us and he said – wow, he’s really your boyfriend!”

“So, he shares your skepticism and desire for concrete proof?”

Veronica laughed again and cut in to her yolky eggs benedict with glee.

“Maybe he could come visit us, for school vacation or something,” Logan offered.

“That’s sweet,” she snuck her foot out of the sheets and poked his leg with her toes.

“I’m a little jealous you have a little brother,” Logan admitted.

“He’s a smart kid, you’ll like him.”

“What about that woman your dad went out with?” Logan remembered something from their last Skype call.

“Gail? I think they went out again, but Dad has been very low on the details.”

“You aren’t always super supportive about those things,” Logan said honestly.

“Me? I’m a marshmallow according to Wallace.”

“I get it, it’s been you & your dad for a while, but he deserves to be happy, like we are.”

“I can’t think about my dad, quite this happy,” Veronica indicated the rumpled bed and the nearly naked bodies.

“Fair point,” Logan wrinkled his nose.

“Wallace is dating someone though, at least 4 dates, to my knowledge,” Veronica offered.

“Good for him. Have you met her?”

“Sort of….” Veronica mumbled.

“You spied on her,” Logan’s voice was more humored than shocked.

“He’s my best friend.”

“Did she pass muster?” Logan reached over and wiped a drop of syrup from her lip, her tongue snuck out and licked it and his finger.

“Yeah, she seems great. She’s a pediatrician, her nephew is on the basketball team at Neptune High, they met at a game. Her name is Erica.”

“We should all go out some night.”

“Look at you, making social plans,” Veronica smiled.

“You know I would rather hole up with you alone forever, but if we are going to do this thing until death do us part, I want to be a part of all of your life. I don’t want you to have to compartmentalize me,” he shrugged and shoved another bit of omelet in his mouth.

“I love you,” she poked him again with her toes and they finished their breakfast in silence.

****

The rest of the day passed in interchangeable rounds of sex and sleep. There were little bursts of conversation, like the moment when Veronica returned from the bathroom to find Logan sprawled across the bed, his head on her pillow and she remembered something.

“Shortly after you left, I came home one day early to make sure Pony was OK on her own. Usually she came trotting to the door when I came in, but this time there was no sign of her, so I went looking. I found her on our bed with her head on your pillow,” Veronica admitted.

The look on Logan’s face was part “awwwww” and part “owwwww” as if he was both delighted and saddened by the story.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” he scooted over to make room for her.

“Take up as much space as you want,” she molded herself to him, “I know you haven’t had much extra space the past few months. I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want to make you feel guilty.”

“V, guilt is part of this life. I am going to miss things, I already have. We need to learn how to manage that,” he spoke against the skin of her neck and she nodded.

“I took a picture,” she admitted.

“Good,” he smiled and though he had the whole king size bed to stretch out in, Logan curled his body around hers and fell back to sleep.  
Later, Veronica was awake and shimmied up in the bed enough to sit, Logan’s head landed in her lap and she ran her fingers through his short hair.

“What’s this?” he asked suddenly and it startled her as she hadn’t realized he was awake.

“What?” she asked although she already knew.

“This,” he ran his finger along a slight scar just above her hip, “it wasn’t there before I left.”

“You really have catalogued me,” she tried to distract him.

“Veronica,” he looked up, his eyes were serious.

“It was nothing, a kid with a knife, he clearly didn’t know what he was doing, I cornered him, he was scared,” she rushed through the highlights.

“You’re OK?” he swallowed.

“Yes, I didn’t even need stitches, it was just a graze.”

“Any other encounters with weapons I should know about?” he stayed with his head in her lap and let her play with his hair.

“None, I promise, you can even ask my dad. We worked a few cheating spouse cases, I had a really interesting genealogy case and a couple insurance cases. I helped a lawyer with some research,” Veronica went through her workload until she heard Logan’s breath even out in sleep again.

****

“I need a shower,” Veronica said as she stretched and felt her muscles cry out in protest.

They had been in that bed for nearly 24 hours and she was sore and in need of some hot water.

“Mmmmm,” Logan agreed vaguely with his eyes still closed.

“Want to wash my back?” she asked as she slipped from the bed and one of his eyes popped open comically.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah,” she looked at him funny.

“I thought you might want some alone time.”

“I…” Veronica crawled back on to the bed, stalking towards him, “have been showering alone for months. I have been eating dinner alone for months. I have been going to bed and waking up alone for months. I don’t want to do any of those things alone for a little while.”

She was on top of him now, enjoying the happy look on his face, matching his goofy smile with one of her own.

“Yeah?’ he asked again.

“Yeah,” she nodded in the affirmative and kissed him quickly before hopping off the bed again and walking towards the bathroom.

Veronica rolled out the bath mat and rearranged some towels, she grabbed the face cloths and some soap, her shampoo and conditioner and face stuff and stocked the huge shower stall. When she had everything in place, including a waiting Logan, she turned on the water as hot as she could stand and slipped inside.

Logan gave her a second to enjoy the pounding hot water before he joined her. He had to admit the water felt good on his body. As fit as he was, the muscles he had used over the past 24 hours were a little rusty. He ran his big hands along the wet skin of Veronica’s back, pressing along her spine.

“Oh yeah,” Veronica dropped her chin other chest, her wet hair falling around her shoulders in ropes.

Logan ticked down her spine, vertebrae by vertebrae, and then he pressed his front to her back and attached his lips to the side of her neck.

“Missed you,” she murmured for seemingly the 100th time in 24 hours.

“Good,” he teased at her ear.

Veronica turned in his embrace, her eyes dark and sharp.

“Good?” she tilted her head.

“I don’t want you to be lonely, but I am glad my absence was noticed,” he said honestly.

“Oh, it was noticed,” she said as she reached for him, one hand at his neck pulling him close and the other further south to express how much she missed him.

“God, Veronica,” he shuddered as she stroked him and before his brain could clear she was kneeling in front of him.

“Did you miss me?” she asked coyly as she took him into her mouth.

Logan cursed, it wasn’t loud, but the echo in the shower stall made it louder and Veronica chuckled, the vibrations making him curse again. She heard his hand slap against the wet tile behind her as his body buckled a bit at her ministrations.

Before he lost complete control of himself, Logan reached down and found her hand, laced their fingers together and tugged her back up. He then turned her around and pressed her against the tile wall of the huge shower, using his knee he spread her legs enough and within seconds he was inside her. He knew she was as ready as he was and when he felt how ready she was he almost lost it entirely.

“Unghhhh,” was all Veronica could manage as she felt the cool tile against the front of her body and Logan’s hot hard body behind her.

Veronica’s hands were up above her head on the slick wall and Logan reached up to lace his fingers through hers, pushing himself deeper and closer as he did. He took their joined right hands and slid them down the wall and guided Veronica’s fingers to her own body.

“Show me, how you used to touch yourself when you thought of me in the shower,” he asked, his voice so deep and sexy she almost lost her mind.

“I knew…” she had to clear her throat and start over her voice was so shaky, “I knew telling you that was a bad idea.”

“Nothing about this is a bad idea,” he teased as he continued to hold her hand as she touched herself.

“Oh god,” she gasped as Logan added his own pressure and slipped her earlobe into his mouth at the same time.

The sound Veronica made was new, part growl and part scream that almost sounded like it hurt as her body tightened and then went totally limp. Logan worried about her on the slippery tile, so he slipped out of her and turned her back to face him, she looked a little dazed.

He brushed the wet hair from her face, kissed her softly and slipped his arms under her thighs to lift her easily. He slipped back in to her and rocked their bodies together gently as her breathing regulated and her eyes cleared.

“Love you…missed you…” Veronica murmured against his lips as they kissed.

“Love you too, babe, I love you too…”  
**** After finally showering and drying off, Veronica flopped on the couch and flipped through the tv channels while Logan ordered more room service.

“Want to watch anything in particular?” she asked as she flipped past sports and news.

“Nah, anything is fine,” Logan said as he joined her on the couch.

They settled on a rerun of Friends, the ubiquitous hotel tv choice, and Veronica leaned against him as Logan stretched out.

“I DVR’d the rest of the History Channel thing we were watching before you left,” Veronica noted.

“Thanks,” he squeezed her shoulder.

“No problem,” she yawned.

Logan knew he had more important things to discuss with Veronica, they had decided to get married after all, but Veronica had kept most of their topics light today – for his benefit or hers he wasn’t sure, but they would have time to talk about the bigger things soon.

TBC…


	3. Wednesday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Logan and Veronica actually leave the hotel room, for a very special reason.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks again to everyone who has left notes. I so appreciate it!

Wednesday

“How long are we staying here?” Logan asked when Veronica emerged from sleep on day 3. It was the middle of the morning, but they hadn’t really been keeping normal sleeping hours and the hotel staff had given up on cleaning their room, dropping off and picking up room service carts and a few extra towels.

“We are registered for one more night, but we can stay longer or go somewhere else. I have some time off and Dad is willing to keep Pony as long as we need,” Veronica turned on her side and propped her head in her hand, her features still soft with sleep.

“Thank you,” he reached out and brushed her hair back of her forehead and tucked it behind her ear.

“I thought you might need a little time to decompress after this deployment, I know it wasn’t typical and you had hardly any time to prepare for it. And I wanted you completely to myself for a while, so not entirely philanthropic,” she grinned.

“It was hard, filling a hole like that on the crew. Everyone was great to me, but their sorrow and tension was palpable the whole tour,” Logan admitted.

“I can’t imagine,” Veronica leaned in the tiniest bit to peck his lips and before she could pull back Logan tugged her flush against him and kissed her more intensely.

“Asking you to marry me was not a knee-jerk reaction to Bilbo dying, but it isn’t completely unrelated. We know better than anyone how sudden things can go wrong, we’ve seen too many people taken too early. I love you so much and I want to make a life with you and I don’t want to wait any longer, don’t you think we waited long enough?”

“I do.”

“You already have the lingo down perfect,” he kissed her again, “So when do you want to get married?”

“You free tomorrow?” Veronica said, not entirely kidding.

“I am not marrying you without at least your dad present, but I’m not opposed to just the 3 of us, a judge and Pony on a beach somewhere.”

“Sounds perfect, maybe we could have a nice dinner with Mac, Wallace and Dick?”

“Anything you want,” he trailed his fingertips up and down her bare back.

“I know a judge or two that might do me a favor.”

“I have no doubt,” Logan laughed.

Veronica snuggled in to his arms.

“Did you really not pack any clothes?” Logan asked suddenly.

“I love that we have been here for almost 60 hours and you are just now asking me that,” she chuffed a laugh against his bare chest, “Yes, there are actual clothes in the closet and the dresser.

“Do you have my Amex with you?”

“Yeah?” she tilted her head back and arched an eyebrow at him.

“Want to go get that ring you were pestering me about yesterday?”

It took almost 2 hours and 2 showers to get dressed and out the door, a housekeeper nodding with relief when they took the Do Not Disturb sign off the door. It was early afternoon and Logan drove them to a Mexican cantina he liked near the water and they had a long leisurely lunch complete with longing looks and tender touches appropriate for public consumption.

“What kind of ring do you want?” Logan asked as he sipped his beer and looked out over the water.

“Something simple, my job isn’t conducive to big rocks, you know?”

“I think a big rock would help you rough up some of your perps,” he winced at the image of the scar near her hip.

“Something simple and maybe not a diamond,” she said cautiously worried that he might think she was shunning tradition.

“Diamonds are kind of out these days, I want you to have something you want, that you are comfortable wearing for the next 50 or 60 years,” he grinned.

“I feel like I’ll know it when I see it.”

“Well, you do have impeccable taste….” 

“Because I am marrying you?” she leaned close enough to kiss.

****

They walked in to the bright, cool stylish jewelry store and it turned out that 3:00 pm on a Wednesday was a great time to shop as the place was empty.

“Can I help you?” a well-dressed older woman appeared from a back room.

“Yes, we are looking for an engagement ring and a couple of wedding bands,” Logan smiled warmly.

“How wonderful, congratulations!”

“Thank you,” Logan and Veronica smiled back.

“Do you know what you would like to look at?” the woman addressed Veronica and she appreciated being consulted.

“Something classic, maybe even vintage. Not a huge stone and maybe not a diamond, something with a little color in it,” she had given it more thought than she thought she had.

Logan just stood back, if Veronica was correct he was ‘at ease’ as she moved along the cases with the woman.

“I’ve always felt an engagement ring should reflect the person wearing it. It’s great that you two are here together. While I am sure your fiancé has lovely taste, you should see what speaks to you. We have our rings sorted by stone so take a few minutes and see what you are drawn to.”

Neither Logan nor the sales woman watched her. Logan was looking at some cufflinks and the sales woman was fixing a window display as Veronica moved from case to case and finally stopped.

“Logan,” she turned, and he was at her side in a moment.

“Which one?’ he smiled.

Veronica pointed.

“Oh yeah, it’s gorgeous,” he nodded, his eyes filled with glee.

“Did you find something?” the woman reappeared, and Veronica had almost forgot she was there.

“This one?” Veronica pointed.

“Sapphire, lovely choice and it is perfect for your coloring, it matches your eyes,” she smiled as she unlocked the cabinet and removed the ring, she slid the stand holding the ring towards Veronica.

It wasn’t ostentatious, but it was very elegant with a large sapphire and surrounding diamonds that set the stone ablaze with light.

“Can I?” Logan asked softly.

“Yeah,” Veronica’s voice was barely a breath.

Logan took the ring from the stand and looked at it closely, a smile on his lips as he took Veronica’s left hand and slid it on her finger slowly, over her knuckle and settling it perfectly.

“Oh my god,” Veronica could not believe how beautiful it was, how perfect it fit.

“You like it?” Logan asked eagerly.

“I love it,” she took a deep breath to quell the flood of emotion she felt with this ring on her finger.

“Do you want to look at any others?” Logan asked.

“Remember how I said I’d know it when I saw it?”

“Yeah?”

“This is it,” she nodded.

Veronica did wonder how much it cost, but there was no way she was bringing up money now, she knew Logan didn’t care how much it cost and so she swallowed the terror of possibly loving a ring that cost more than her car and nodded again.

“It looks lovely on you,” the woman smiled warmly as Logan withdrew his Amex and handed it over as he was not planning to remove that ring from her finger.

“We also want a pair of wedding bands,” Logan mentioned.

“Right, with a ring that gorgeous maybe something a little delicate?” the woman suggested, and Veronica nodded.

They found a pair of simple platinum bands, a thinner plain one for Veronica and a thicker band with slight tool work around the edge for Logan. They had the right sizes in stock, but the pair did want them engraved.

“And what would you like for the engraving?” the woman asked as she wrote up the order form.

“Always,” Logan and Veronica said as one.

The woman wrote up all the paper work and charged Logan’s card while Veronica tried to subtly move towards the window to watch her ring sparkle in the sunlight.

“It’s beautiful,” Logan appeared behind her and lean down to whisper in her ear, “it is the same color as your eyes right before I make you…”

“Logan,” she reprimanded with a smile.

“Every time I look at it, I’ll think of that look on your face, that bright spark in your eyes,” he kissed her temple.

“I love you,” she turned in to his lips and found them with her own.

The woman returned with a whole envelope of information.

“Sorry,” she said as she interrupted the kiss, “here you are Mr. Echolls. The wedding bands will be ready tomorrow after lunch.”

“Thank you so much,” Logan shook the woman’s hand.

“Congratulations,” she smiled, and Veronica returned it as she headed out in to the sun.

“That was incredibly easy,” Logan mentioned as they walked to the car.

“It was meant to be,” and Logan didn’t know if Veronica meant the ring or the engagement, but in either case he was so happy to see her so happy.

Veronica was about to get in the car when something caught her eye.

“Buy your fiancé some ice cream?” she nodded at the ice cream parlor across the street.

Logan was going to make a quip about having just bought her a ring, but he knew it was killing her not to ask about how expensive it was, so he just smiled and nodded, he was going to handle this married thing just fine.

The ice cream place was slightly busier than the jewelry store, but Logan and Veronica found a small table in the shade outside and ate their ice cream in peace. Suddenly they heard a shrill cry and a toddler flew by heading for the sidewalk and the street just beyond it. Logan hopped up easily and corralled the little boy, scooping him up in his arms.

“Ian!” his mother, Logan assumed, trailing behind him was visibly pregnant and moving as quickly as she could.

“I got him,” Logan smiled.

“Thank you so much, he just took off. You know better than that don’t you?” the frantic mom was talking to Logan and Ian at the same time.

“Not a problem, you’re OK aren’t you Ian?” Logan asked as he put the little boy down beside his mom.

The boy nodded and hid a bit behind his mom.

“Thank you again,” she said as she took Ian’s hand and led him to their car.

Logan returned to the table to find Veronica kind of frozen, her ice cream melting in the warm day.

“What?”

“Do you want kids?” she asked, and it wasn’t an accusation.

“I want you and a long happy life with you and if that life includes a child or two then yes and if that life does not include children then no. I’m not as terrified by the idea of kids as I used to be, I have a lot of friends in the squad with kids and I find I kind of like the idea, but I would never pressure you to have kids.”

Veronica just nodded and resumed eating her ice cream, but she had a small smile for the rest of the afternoon.

A few moments later Logan leaned close, “we’ve been dressed for almost 3 hours, I am feeling a little claustrophobic in these clothes.”

Veronica giggled and squeezed his knee.

“I have a couple things I want to do before we are naked again.”

“Oh? Mini-golf? Grocery shopping?” he smirked.

“I want to try to arrange our wedding, I think I have that judge on speed dial,” she grinned and unlocked her phone.

Logan swallowed the lump in his throat at the absolute adoration he felt for this woman and just nodded.

Veronica held the phone to her ear as she snatched the end of his ice cream and scooped her spoon in to it, she swallowed quickly when the call connected.

“Hi, Linda? This is Veronica Mars, I was wondering if Judge Matthews would be available to take my call. Great, thanks,” as Veronica waited she looked at Logan who pushed the rest of his ice cream towards her.

“Judge Matthews, thank you for taking my call with no notice. I’m great thanks, I was actually calling to see if you were available for a very quick wedding ceremony,” she said with excitement in her voice.

“Yes, my boyfriend is back from his deployment, he’s in the Navy you know,” Veronica dropped a little patriotism in to the mix, “and we’ve decided we just can’t wait another week to be married.”

Logan could only hear Veronica’s side of the conversation and he rolled his eyes at her and she shrugged.

“Well, we can’t do it without you, your Honor, so when are you available?”

Veronica mouthed the word “Friday” at Logan and his eyes widened in surprise.

“Yes, sir, we can make that work. It will just be us and my dad, oh and Pony, you met her when you came by the office. We’ll process the license tomorrow and email you the exact location. Thank you so much,” Veronica ended the call with a triumphant fist pump.

“This Friday?” Logan asked.

“Too soon? Am I rushing this?” she reached out and held his hand.

“No, if your dad wasn’t a consideration I would drag you to City Hall before it closes at 5:00. I’m just surprised, you must have done a big favor for this judge.”

“I saved him a very large sum of money in alimony payments,” Veronica explained vaguely, but Logan got the gist as Veronica made another call.

“Hey Dad,” Veronica smiled as her father answered the phone, “you free on Friday evening?”

Logan sat rigid with stress, this was the only part he was really worried about. He and Keith had come a long way while he was home last time and Keith was wonderful to him when Bilbo died, and he could see the respect in the man’s eyes when Logan left this time, but he still worried about his response to the big news.

“Excellent, would you like to walk me down a very short aisle?” there was a short pause and then, “yeah, he’s right here,” Veronica pulled the phone from her ear and played with the screen and sure enough there was Keith Mars grinning back at both of them.

“Welcome home, Logan,” he said, the camera angle weirdly making him even more menacing than normal.

“Thanks, Keith.”

“I hear you want to marry my only daughter,” he tried for stern, but he broke out with a little grin at the end.

“More than anything.” 

“Good answer. So, what do you two crazy kids need from your old man?”  
Logan knew Keith was just being silly, but referring to himself as their father, both their father, hit him hard. There were so many times when they were younger that Logan was jealous of Veronica, jealous of her for having Keith and while he had been so focused these past couple days on the idea of being Veronica’s husband, he was now realizing he would also be Keith’s son-in-law.

“Nothing to worry about Pops, just get some nice duds together for Friday, 4:00 location TBD, but it is going to be a beach. I’ll email you the rest of the details.”

“You got it, kid.”

“And I kind of want to surprise everyone else….”

“My lips are sealed,” Keith promised.

“Thanks again, Keith,” Logan said and suddenly there was barking, “is that my girl?” Logan made cooing noises at the phone as Pony scampered in to view. “Hi Pony girl, hi there good dog!”

Pony danced in a circle and barked happily as Keith laughed at her.

“You have all the Mars’ girls wrapped around your finger, don’t you son?” Keith shook his head before signing off.

Veronica observed Logan for a few seconds before she said anything.

“You are never too old to have a father,” she laced her fingers with his and he squeezed back.

“Especially when you hardly had one to begin with,” Logan admitted.

“I’m happy to share him with you.”

“That means the world to me,” he said honestly.

“Two more quick things and we can go back to the hotel room for the whole night,” she kissed him deeply.

Veronica searched her phone and made another call.

“I’d like to make a reservation for 6 people this Friday night at 6:00 if possible,” Veronica waited while the hostess at a trendy new restaurant on the waterfront in Neptune clicked around, “wonderful, a private room is perfect. We’d be happy to secure that with a credit card,” Logan handed his over before she had a chance to open her purse and she rattled off the number and their name.

“OK, you’ll like this place, they have an amazing menu,” Veronica promised him as she sent 3 texts to Wallace, Mac and Dick inviting them to welcome Logan home on Friday.

Logan led her to a café before heading to the car.

“I thought we could take in provisions for the night,” he held the door open.

“Admit it, you are embarrassed by the quantity of room service we’ve had the past couple days.”

“Yep,” he agreed as they ordered sandwiches and pasta salad and delicious looking cookies.

By the time they got back to the hotel, all three of their friends had confirmed dinner on Friday.

***555***

“I’ll take that,” Veronica took the bag from the café and headed to the small kitchenette in the suite and stored the food in the fridge.

“We eating later?” Logan asked as he leaned against the wall and observed her with a somewhat predatory look.

Veronica nodded and approached him slowly, she ran her eyes up and down his entire body, she had seen it in all its glory the past couple of days, but even in clothes he was sexy. Logan wore clothes so much better now, his clothes fit right, and he filled them out nicely. Veronica was lost in thought and missed the amusement on his face.

“Bed?” he crooked his head towards the bedroom.

“Huh?” Veronica snapped out of her reverie.

Logan didn’t bother with words, he just lifted her up and flung her over his shoulder to carry her to bed, her peels of laughter filling the suite.

He stood her up and tugged her shirt out of her jeans and over her head.

“Wait!” she held up a hand.

“What? You OK?” Logan frowned.

“Yes. Sit for a second,” she indicated the foot of the bed and they both sat.

She took his hand and for a brief moment he thought she was going to tell him something bad.

“I know we have talked a lot these past few days, but I want you to know that while you were away this time, I really really thought about the future. I thought about the Navy life and I thought about maybe babies and I thought about my job and I thought about what I want and all of that led me to one thing. You. I want you,” Veronica took a deep breath.

“Just like you admitted that this,” she wiggled her finger with the newly acquired ring on it, “was not a reaction to Bilbo dying, my agreeing, my enthusiasm is not just an overreaction to you being home and safe. I was thinking about this when I was in our bed alone and I decided I would rather have to manage the time you are away than never have you beside me.”

Veronica is not sure when her eyes filled with tears, but Logan reached out and swiped a tear that had escaped down her cheek.

“I want all of it with you Logan, as hard as it can be and has been for us, I am not me without you. I need you to challenge me, to make me think, to watch out for me even when I don’t want it. I need you to make me feel sexy and to remind me I’m a nerd. I need you, Logan, and I spent almost a whole decade denying it. I don’t,” she sucked in another breath, “I don’t want to deny it any longer.”

“I love you,” was all he could possibly say to that before he laid her back against the bed.

TBC…


	4. Thursday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Still a few things to talk about before the wedding.

Thursday  
Logan was up early on Thursday, his body finally regulating to California time. Veronica was snuffling quietly in her sleep and he slipped from the bed, found some clothes and headed for the shower. As fun as the shared showers with Veronica had been the past couple of days, he was happy to enjoy a long hot shower alone after months of quick lukewarm showers on the ship.

As he slipped out and toweled off, a sleepy Veronica entered the bathroom with a pout.

“I woke up alone.”

“Sorry, babe, “he leaned in and kissed her, and she rubbed her hands through his wet hair.

“S’ok,” she murmured as she headed to the sink to brush her teeth.

“Thought we might go out and get breakfast, take it to the beach?” Logan suggested.

“Sure,” Veronica mumbled around her toothbrush.

“Great, take a nice shower, no rush,” he smiled back and kissed the side of her head.

By the time Veronica came out of the bathroom in a towel, Logan was dressed in khaki shorts and a Navy tee shirt that looked ridiculously good on him, sneakers on his feet and a cup of coffee from the Keurig in the suite’s kitchenette. A similar cup rested on the dresser and Veronica sipped it happily.

“I got us a late check out, so we can go out and have our breakfast, pick-up the rings and hit city hall for the marriage license and then come back and pack up,” Logan reported.

“You were busy while I was showering.”

“Good old Naval efficiency,” he saluted her with a smirk.

Veronica slipped on some underwear and a similar outfit of shorts and a tee shirt, her own feet in flip flops. Logan grabbed his keys and sunglasses and headed out in to the day.

“We are definitely going to have to start working out with Mac, after all the food we consumed these past few days,” Veronica noted as they waited for their breakfast sandwiches and pastries to be packed up.

Logan just pinched her hip.

They took the bag from the young woman and their very large coffees and walked a couple blocks over to a stretch of beach that was not very busy on a weekday mid-morning.

“Over here,” Logan tilted his head and found a good spot of hard packed, but dry sand where the sun was warm but not right in their sightline.

“Perfect,” Veronica folded her legs under her and took the bag, so Logan could join her.

“I need to talk to you about something,” Logan said as he unwrapped one sandwich and handed it over to Veronica.

“Sure,” Veronica wiggled a little closer to him than normal and he was able to rest a hand on her knee.

“I should have told you this a while ago, but Bilbo happened and I didn’t want you to think it was because of that and it isn’t something we could discuss over skype and I could have brought it up earlier this week, but I didn’t and now I feel I need to tell you before the wedding.”

“Logan?” Veronica’s brows were furrowed in the worst way.

“It’s not bad. I don’t think it’s bad. Why do we keep expecting the worst?” he asked and squeezed her knee.

“Old habits die hard,” she snorted.

He saw her relax a little, so he soldiered on.

“Right before Bilbo died, I instructed my lawyer to make you the beneficiary of my will and I made you co-executor of my estate.”

“What?” Veronica’s eyes went wide.

“Even before we make it legal tomorrow, you have control of half of my money and real estate and well…. everything.”

“Wow, OK. How much money are we actually talking about?” Veronica never knew how much money Logan had, even with her sleuthing skills and the case of his mysterious half-brother she didn’t know 10 years ago, and she certainly doesn’t know now.

“All together, about 400 million dollars. My lawyer has all the legal documents, you can review them if you want. All but a little of it is invested or part of the foundation.”

“You have a foundation?”

“We have a foundation. It has a board of directors, but if you want to get involved we can talk about that. It operates over 15 shelters across the country for women and children trying to transition from an abusive home setting,” Logan looked down at his lap and Veronica remembered how he would tug his sleeves down over his hands.

“He was a monster,” Veronica reached over and took his hand in hers.

They rarely talked about Aaron, not with any sort of seriousness. Veronica had eventually figured out that Aaron hit Logan, it just made sense and yet as a kid she had never put two and two together. When they reunited it never seemed like a good time to talk about it and Logan seemed to have put it behind him and now she knew part of how he dealt with it.

“Seemed like the best thing to do with his money,” Logan squeezed her hand.

“This is a lot to take in,” Veronica blew out a breath and looked out at the ocean before taking a big bite of croissant egg and cheese, clearly the news hadn’t hurt her appetite.

“Which is why I managed to avoid bringing it up, but we are getting married and we need to be honest about everything now, no hiding, even if we think it’s a good thing. I want to use some of this money. Maybe buy a house, pay off your loans, your dad’s medical bills,” Logan ventured emboldened by the impending nuptials.

“My dad won’t take your money.”

“It is our money and if you tell him it is the best thing for him to do, he will do it. We can do this Veronica, we can get rid of all the debt and if he never wants another penny from us fine, but I hate that he is paying the bills for that crime.”

“He is grateful enough to you for saving his life,” she smiled.

“We should do this,” was all he said, “Your loans too, the money you’ll save in interest we can use to reinvest.”

“OK,” Veronica agreed quietly.

“Yeah?” Logan looked her in the eye.

“Yeah. I think I will feel better about the money if I have some idea of the logistics, the investments and stuff. I always thought of your money as some nebulous ball of privilege and it scared me, but if I can see where it is and how it is being spent.”

“I live almost exclusively off my salary. I put a few things on the Amex and pay that from the trust, but you’ve seen me Veronica, I am not living the playboy lifestyle any more. Don’t get me wrong, I love having the security, but I am not the kid from the penthouse suite anymore.”

“I know.”

“Good,” Logan kissed her knuckles and then tucked in to his breakfast.

“How did I not know about the foundation?” she asked between bites.

“Why Miss Mars, did you check up on me from time to time?” Logan teased.

“Possibly, once or twice… a year,” she admitted.

“My name is nowhere on the foundation. I’m not on the board, I am not a trustee, I am an anonymous donor. I didn’t want it to be about me, but together, if you wanted to make it a part of our life, I could be OK with that.”

“It’s a wonderful thing, Logan. I am sure you have helped a lot of people,” Veronica placed her hand at the back of his neck and curled her fingers around tenderly.

“I hope so.”

“A house, huh?” she started to register all the things he’d said since they sat down.

“Not an estate, just a house, but near the water. Room for Pony and those maybe babies you mentioned more than once,” the light in his eyes was almost brighter than the sun.

“You were paying attention last night,” she sipped her coffee.

“Every word is seared in my brain forever, it is the most honest I think you have ever been about your feelings,” Logan leaned over to kiss her temple.

“I haven’t had a house since I was a little girl. My dad has his place now and I stayed there for a bit, but since my parents split it has been apartments, dorms and tinier apartments. A house sounds nice,” her voice was small against the crash of the waves.

“Not just a house, Veronica, a home. I had a lot of houses as a kid, but none of them felt like a home.”

“I love you so fucking much,” Veronica dropped the remains of her breakfast and crawled in to his lap.

Logan just laughed and held her close, kissed her deeply.

***555***  
“What’s it called?” Veronica asked a bit later as they were strolling along the beach.

“Huh?” Logan shook himself from his reverie of walking in fresh air with Veronica’s hand in his.

“The foundation.”

“Uh, it’s just my mother’s initials, LAL, the shelters are called Oleander House, her favorite flower.”

“Wait, your foundation…”

“Our foundation,” he corrected.

“We run Oleander House?” Veronica stopped in her tracks and the tide caught up to them running cold water over her toes.

“Well not directly, but yeah, why?”

“I interned for the Public Defenders office in New York during law school, I worked a couple cases for women at Oleander House.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, mostly petty theft stuff, women trying to feed their kids stealing formula and stuff. It was really hard to get in to the New York location, it was always the highest requested shelter. I had a friend who volunteered there,” Veronica smiled.

“They do really good work,” Logan said modestly.

“You did that,” she said with awe.

“I just gave a bunch of money to some smart people,” Logan blew off the praise.

“You could’ve kept that money. Bought a boat…”

“We have a boat,” he smiled.

“Of course we do, but still, you have done a great thing.”

“My mother was far from perfect, but I wanted something really good to come of her life,” Logan looked past Veronica at the horizon.

Veronica reached up and tugged his chin to look her in the eyes.

“Something really good came from her life the day you entered the world, Logan.”

Logan just smiled and picked her up to save her toes from the freezing surf.

***555***  
“Hello, Mr. Echolls,” the woman at the jewelry store greeted them as they strolled in.

“Good morning,” he replied.

“Your rings are all ready to go, let me just run out back and get them.”

“Thank you,” Veronica smiled.

“Was it really just yesterday we were here?” Veronica said as she perused the cases in front of her.

“Yeah, having second thoughts?” Logan was mostly teasing but he had been worried about the money talk.

“No,” she said simply and turned to give him a peck on the lips.

“Here we are,” the woman returned and presented a box with both rings nestled in royal blue velvet.

Logan ran his finger over the platinum bands, plucking one out and showing Veronica the engraving.

“Perfect,” she smiled.

With the rings safely in Veronica’s purse the next stop was City Hall and after the requisite bureaucratic waiting and paper work they had a marriage license too. Logan feared one of the clerks in the office recognized him and he hoped there would be no tabloid coverage of what was turning out to be the very best week of his entire life.

By the time they got back to the hotel they still had a few hours before their late check out. Veronica toed out of her flip-flops just inside the door and had her tee shirt off over her head before Logan even had the door closed.

“Bedroom, now,” she instructed.

“Yes, ma’am,” he followed obediently.

“I am going to admit something to you now and you cannot ever ever hold it against me,” Veronica leveled her gaze at him while shimmying out of her shorts.

“Uh, sure,” Logan swallowed as he watched her undress.

“Clothes, off,” she pointed at his fully-clothed body.

“Right, on it,” he stripped.

“I am a little turned on at the idea of being rich,” she confessed and Logan barked out a laugh, “Don’t take it out of context, I am annoyed you waited this long to tell me, but I will consent to very extenuating circumstances due to your deployment but quite frankly you should have told me before you even did it, but all things considered…”

“That’s a lot of buts,” Logan pointed out as he removed the last stitch of clothing.

“Get your very cute butt over here,” she looked him up and down with a sexy predatory gaze.

“But…. you weren’t done explaining how turned on you are,” he stayed put where he was near the bedroom door.

“Wouldn’t you rather that I show you?” she turned and crawled on to the bed, she could hear him suck in a breath at the sight of her.

Logan did not need to be told twice, he was on that bed before she could come up with another witty “but” pun. He all but tackled her in to the rumpled sheets and smothered her with kisses.

Veronica abandoned her half of the dialogue and focused instead on riding Logan until they were both panting for breath so close to orgasm every muscle in both their bodies were pulled tight. Veronica couldn’t stand the tension of it and despite her lack of air, she leaned forward and kissed Logan so deep and hard, her tongue sliding along his was all he needed and as he moaned and came underneath her, and it was just enough to push her over as well.

“Fuck,” Veronica sucked in air as she collapsed on top of him, worried her weight would impede his own ability to catch his breath, but Logan was in much better shape and she felt his heart rate start to even out almost instantly, his breathing still labored, but in control.

“That was amazing,” Logan ran a hand over his damp brow.

“More,” Veronica kissed up his chest to his neck.

“Check back with me in 15 minutes or so,” he laughed as he rolled her to the side and snuggled her.

“We’re going to have an amazing life, Logan.”

***555***  
Logan and Veronica stumbled in to her stuffy apartment late Thursday night after having a ridiculously romantic dinner at a private restaurant that Veronica didn’t even know was a thing.

“I ate so much food,” Veronica lamented as she flopped on the couch.

Logan flipped on the ceiling fans and opened a window to let in some fresh sea air.

“How does a private restaurant work? How do they stay in business?”

“Word of mouth. Rich people,” Logan shrugged.

“It was amazing,” Veronica admitted.

The private meal was a 6-course tasting menu served in a private tent on the beach near La Jolla. The staff asked a few key questions, there was no menu and every single morsel was delicious and unique. The beachfront location made it a little casual and Veronica had packed a sundress in case they went out. There were other diners speckled along the stretch of beach, but they were completely isolated, not a word of any other conversation infiltrating their own.

“Thank you,” Veronica curled in to his side when Logan joined her on the couch.

“I just made a phone call, they did all the cooking.”

“It was a special end to our few days in San Diego,” she ran a hand along his side.

She hadn’t stopped touching him since he got home. Tonight, all through dinner she held his hand or ran her foot along his leg, nudged his knee with hers. Then in the car her hand was at the nape of his neck or on his thigh and now she wrapped both her arms around one of his and perched her chin on his shoulder.

“Are you a little drunk?”

“Little bit,” she admitted, “Partially all that expensive wine and mostly drunk on love.” She giggled, and it was the most beautiful sound.

“You ready for tomorrow?’ he laced his fingers through her left hand and admired the sapphire glinting there.

“Yes,” she said definitively.

“Are you ready to be married to me? I kind of sprung it on you,” Logan was still considering these past few days a dream.

“Logan, I have loved you since I was 12 years old. This has been a long time coming, a long difficult time, mostly of my own causing by the way and I cannot imagine NOT marrying you.”

Logan didn’t trust himself to answer with words, so he leaned over the short distance and captured her lips with his. The kiss was soft and sure, it was filled with all the words in his heart and all the thoughts flitting through his brain. 

He pictured a 12-year-old Veronica, all skinned knees and long braids. He pictured a 15-year-old Veronica all pink and lace, a 17-year-old Veronica all sharp angles and scowls and secret kisses and tentative hands. He pictured 19-year-old Veronica all vengeance and turmoil. He pictured the woman he imagined her to be in the missing 9 years and the familiar fight he found in her when she came back. She came back. To him.

He didn’t break the kiss but moved to scoop her up and carried her back to the little bedroom they shared in her apartment. Not a word was exchanged as they stripped each other’s clothes off and slid in to the bed, their bodies knowing exactly where to go, what to do.

When Veronica breathed his name out as she shuddered under him, Logan felt like he understood what home was supposed to feel like. This was coming home, Veronica in their own bed saying his name like it was as required for breathing as oxygen, this was home.

All night they reached for each other between short bouts of sleep. A hand would reach out or a foot and then they would merge back together. It was sleepy and sloppy and so satisfying, so sweet. It was the last night they would sleep as single people.

TBC…


	5. Friday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Til Death Do Them Part

Friday

Logan woke up alone. The sun was full in the room and he knew it had to be late. His phone on the bedside table confirmed that, past 10:00 am already. He had a text from Veronica.

“Had to run a few errands. Coffee in kitchen. I’ll bring lunch home. Xo V” he read with a smile.

Logan was happy to have a tiny bit of time to himself this morning. He walked through the apartment and reacquainted himself with the place. He was delighted to see his clothes still graced the closet and drawers, his books on the shelf under the TV. He had heard stories from crewmates of coming home to their stuff displaced or worse, boxed and stored by passive-aggressive loved ones in the attic or garage.

He stopped at Pony’s corner, her bed and toys all organized and clean. He inventoried the new toys Veronica and surely Keith had spoiled her with while he was away. He couldn’t wait to take her out on the beach and play. He missed this place, this little nest he and Veronica had so comfortably cohabitated in.

Knowing how seriously Veronica felt about lunch, Logan knew he didn’t have much time to get everything on his to do list done. First things first, he needed a honeymoon plan.

It was a challenge to surprise a PI and Logan knew his only hope was the sheer brevity of time until the wedding. He booted up his laptop and pulled out his Amex and made some magic happen. Flights were easy, but the bungalow he wanted at the hotel was reserved by phone only, a chipper woman answered on the first ring.

“Elbow Beach Resort and Spa, this is Lana, how may I help you?”

“Hello, Lana, my name is Logan and I am hoping that your Bird of Paradise Cottage is free for a few nights starting tomorrow night?” he held his breath.

“Let me just take a look, yes it looks like the couple in that suite is checking out tomorrow and it is free until next Friday.”

“I’ll take it,” Logan grinned in triumph.

His next call was to his soon-to-be father-in-law.

“You better not be calling to tell me you have cold feet,” Keith answered.

“No, Sir,” Logan replied immediately.

“I was kidding, Logan, what can I do for you?” Keith laughed.

“I want to take Veronica on a proper honeymoon, as a surprise, she said she might be able to take a little more time off. Is that OK and could you keep Pony for another week?”

“Of course, Son. Pony is welcome here always, but Veronica is her own boss. I can tell you we shuffled some things, so she could have some extra time with you if she needed it. She missed you, this time was hard on her.”

“I know, and we actually talked about that this week.”

“I’m glad. I am not in any position to give any one marital advice, but communication is key, and I know my daughter, she sometimes avoids the heavy stuff.”

“It was our fatal flaw the first couple of times around, but we have both grown up, Keith, we want this to work.”

“I know, I never would have signed off if I thought otherwise.”

Logan smiled, Keith may not love him yet, but he was giving them the shot they needed, and it meant the world to Logan.

Once he finished the honeymoon arrangements he opened his financial records and printed off a few things. He was just reviewing everything when he heard the key in the door.

Veronica was laden with stuff, bags and boxes and flowers and something that smelled suspiciously like lasagna.

“Let me help you,” Logan took several bags and the warm take out off her hands.

“Thanks,” Veronica dumped the huge pile of flowers on the table and hung a garment bag on the molding over the closet door.

“Food first?” Logan realized he hadn’t had anything but coffee while he was going through his tasks.

“Of course,” Veronica said with a wink.

While Logan gathered utensils and plates, Veronica took the flowers to the sink and put them in some water, fluffing some of the blooms with a smile.

“Those are pretty,” Logan mentioned casually.

“I thought there should be some flowers,” she shrugged.

Logan just smiled and nodded, enjoying the slight peak at girly Veronica.

“And that?” he pointed a fork towards the garment bag.

“Clothes, for both of us,” she informed, and Logan’s eyebrows raised.

“You don’t have to wear it, but I saw it and I bought it,” Veronica was getting antsy being girly.

“OK, I’ll wear anything. I’m marrying you, I’ll wear stripes and polka dots and a fake mustache if you want,” he leaned in and kissed her cheek before serving up the lasagna.

“I printed all the financial stuff we talked about. The documents for the foundation, the bank statements and investments. You can read it now or later or never. I put it all in the safe in the closet,” Logan said as Veronica started eating.

“OK, later though, after,” she waved her fork around vaguely.

“OK,” Logan smiled.

***555***  
“I’m not wearing white,” Veronica said before unzipping the garment bag.

“I don’t think even your dad would buy you in white,” Logan teased as he watched her pull out a raspberry pink dress.

It was flowy and looked so soft, he wanted to touch it. It wasn’t very long and even on his diminutive fiancé it would not go quite to her knees. She hung it to one side of the closet door and then removed a pair of dove grey linen pants and a softer pink shirt.

“You OK with pink?” she asked before biting her bottom lip.

“Yeah,” his voice was hoarse as he looked at how beautifully the two outfits matched. “You did a great job, Veronica.”

“I know we have plenty of nice clothes, but it is our wedding and I wanted something…Jesus, when did I turn in to such a girl?”

Logan tugged her hand to pull her to him and captured her lips hungrily. She responded instantly and began tugging at his clothes with abandon. They didn’t quite make it all the way to the bed, Logan sitting on the foot of the bed and pulling Veronica on to his lap, their bodies finding each other with practiced ease.

“Love you so much,” Veronica said over and over against the warm skin of Logan’s neck.

“Finally,” he sighed, and she wasn’t sure if he meant their joining or the wedding or her declarations of love, but she smiled and moved faster on top of him.

Their bodies heated up quickly making it easier to slide against each other and when Veronica’s breasts pressed just perfectly against Logan’s hard chest she moaned in the most delicious way, making Logan double his efforts, reaching a hand back behind him for leverage.

Veronica cursed at the extra effort and the slight change in angle drove her instantly insane and suddenly her back arched and her breath hitched as she came with practically no warning.

“Fuck, Veronica,” Logan groaned as his body reacted in kind.

They collapsed on the rumpled bed in a sweaty tangle of limbs.

“So good,” Veronica murmured against his skin, barely saying the words audibly, just moving her lips against his chest like a very intimate version of lip-reading.

“That’s probably the last time we’ll have sex as single people,” Logan mentioned as he caught his breath.

“Probably?” Veronica snorted.

“We’ll see how I feel in the shower,” he pinched her naked hip and she laughed.

“Think it’ll be different when we’re married?” she said with caution.

“No. I am going to venture to guess it will be better,” he reached down to tilt her face up to his and kissed her softly.

***555***

Veronica emerged from the bedroom in her dress to find Logan arranging the flowers she had bought earlier.

“If that Navy pilot thing fizzles you can open a little shop,” she teased.

“Wow,” his eyes bugged out, “you do that dress a massive favor. It was pretty on the hanger, but on you, yikes!”

“Thanks,” she did a little twirl to show off the flowy material. The dress had delicate silver straps and she paired it with a pair of low silver sandals for the beach and some simple jewelry. Her hair was curly and loose around her face and shoulders. “You look quite fetching yourself, Mr. Echolls.”

“Thanks,” he broke a pink lily from its stem and held it between them, they smiled at the significance and he held it up. “May I?”

She nodded and let him tuck into her hair behind her left ear.

“Perfect,” he kissed her, and she hugged him close for a moment, the scent of the lily hanging in the air.

“Time to go,” he said, and she slipped out of his grasp and collected the flowers, a wild bunch of random shades of pink that was simultaneously gorgeous and unruly, a bit like Veronica herself Logan mused.

They rode in silence to the beach and the first thing Logan noticed when they got there was the size of their pet.

“She got so big,” he cooed sadly as he lamented missing each milestone.

“She’s such a good girl,” Veronica used her Pony voice and the dog whipped her head around to see the couple arriving, she strained at the leash when Logan stepped out of the car and Keith had to jog a bit to keep her under control.

“Hello, Pony,” Logan dropped down to one knee in the narrow parking area along the beach and let the dog slobber all over him, “your mommy greeted me in a similar fashion,” he teased, and Keith cleared his throat as Veronica chuckled.

Veronica noticed the car nicer than Logan’s that pulled in beside the reunion scene and went to greet the judge. He was a younger man than Logan expected, maybe 45, and he was wearing a pair of slacks, a button-down shirt and tie, no robe for the beach.

“Judge Matthews, thank you again for this. You got the paper work we sent?” Veronica said with concern.

“Yes, yes, everything is in order, just as I expected from you Ms. Mars. Congratulations, by the way, you look lovely.”

“Thank you. You remember my father from the office and Pony of course,” Judge Matthews leaned down and petted the dog fondly. “And this is my fiancé, Logan Echolls.”

“Nice to meet you, Mr. Echolls,” the judge held out a hand and Logan shook it.

“Logan, please. Thank you for fitting us in on such short notice.”

“My brother is a Marine, served 3 tours now. I appreciate your situation and I thank you for your service.”

“Thank you and please give my best to your brother, we often have Marines on our ship, they are brave people.”

Logan took the leash from Keith and walked the still rather excited dog and the judge down to the beach as Keith offered an elbow to Veronica and the pair followed behind. It was not a formal wedding march, but Logan gave Keith a moment alone with Veronica.

“You’re sure about this?” Keith asked casually as they strolled through the sand.

“More than anything,” Veronica squeezed his arm with both of hers.

“Marriage isn’t always easy.”

“I think Logan & I mastered the art of it isn’t always easy, right now, it actually is easy. I love him and even when things aren’t easy that has never changed.”

“He loves you too, I know that as sure as I know anything,” Keith kissed her temple as they arrived at the slightly secluded spot.

Veronica had mapped the tides and at low tide this stretch of beach reveals a little outcropping of rocks, it is a spot she and Logan would hide away in for hours when they were younger. Sometimes they went there just to make out, but often they went and watched the ocean and talked, really talked in a way they never did anywhere else.

Keith took control back of the dog who was now sitting happily in front of both of her parents and Veronica laid the flowers at her feet so she could hold both of Logan’s hands.

“Ready?” the judge smiled and both nodded.

“We are gathered here today to join this man and this woman in the covenant of marriage. Before I read the formal vows, is there anything you would like to say to each other? Veronica?”

“Logan, I can’t remember a time when I didn’t love you. Even when I hated you, I loved you. And while I can remember my life before you arrived in it, I never had any concept of love, not romantic love at least, until I met you. You are all the kinds of love to me and I still feel them all; the silly butterflies of my 12 year-old-self; the insane passion of my 17-year-old self and the grown-up passion and pride and tenderness of today; it is because I feel them all simultaneously that I know this is the right thing, we are the right thing. Always.” Veronica stumbled over the last word, her voice cracking the tiniest bit at the look on Logan’s face.

“You are now and have always been, the best person I know,” Logan began, “when nothing in my life mattered, you did. When no one in my life cared, you did. When I was my worst version of myself you steered me straight and when I had to find my way without you, it seemed impossible. It wasn’t though, because I knew that I was worth something because you loved me once. Now that I am a better version of myself I finally feel ready to give back to you all that you ALWAYS gave me.”

Veronica looked at him with pained eyes, she didn’t deserve quite so much praise.

“Always,” he assured her easing her mind.

“Veronica, please place the ring on Logan’s finger and repeat after me: I Veronica Mars take you Logan Echolls to be my lawfully wedded husband” Judge Matthews instructed.

Veronica’s hands shook as she got the ring they had just bought on to Logan’s finger without dropping it in the sand. Her voice betrayed her, and she need to take a breath before ‘wedded’ to quell her tears.

“Logan, please place the ring on Veronica’s finger and repeat after me: I Logan Echolls, take you Veronica Mars to be my lawfully wedded wife.”

“Does anyone here have any reason why these 2 should not be legally joined?” the Judge asked with a smile and Pony barked, eliciting a laugh from all the humans.

“By the power vested in me by the state of California, I now pronounce you husband and wife.”

Logan took their joined right hand and raised it to his lips, kissing her knuckles without breaking eye contact and it was all Veronica could do not to fall at his feet or jump in his arms.

“Well, imagine that,” Logan smiled, “us, married.”

Veronica was not willing to wait any longer for a proper kiss, so she reached up and curled one hand around his neck and tugged his lips to hers and kissed him hard. His hands slipped through the soft material of her dress, caressing her hips passing along her ass and sliding up to her shoulders to hug her as their mouths continued to move against one another.

“Father-in-law, right here,” Keith announced.

“Sorry,” Logan pulled back and looked anything but sorry.

“Congratulations,” Keith hugged Veronica and in a shocking turn of events hugged Logan as well. “Welcome to the family, we’re small, but feisty.”

“Are you talking about the size of our family or our stature?” Veronica puzzled.

“Both,” Keith shrugged.

“Congratulations to both of you. Keith, I just need you to sign here and I will have this filed on Monday morning,” he opened his leather portfolio and took out the marriage certificate.

“Judge Matthews, you are welcome to join us for dinner,” Veronica mentioned as Keith took out his camera to take a couple photos.

“Thank you, that is very kind, but I do have a prior engagement. “

“Well, thank you again and while I hope you never need our services again, do not hesitate to give me a call if you need anything.

***555***  
Logan and Keith had to do some sleight of hand to get Pony back to Keith’s when Veronica questioned why she couldn’t just go back to their house now that they were back in town.

“I only want to pay attention to you tonight,” Logan whispered in her ear and tried to keep the honeymoon thing under wraps a little longer.

The result of Keith brining Pony back to his place was that Logan and Veronica were the first to arrive at the restaurant. The hostess walked them out to the private room Veronica had booked. It was like a big porch with huge windows on two sides and sliding glass doors out to private deck beyond with big Adirondack chairs overlooking the ocean.

“This is beautiful,” Veronica beamed.

“So are your flowers, would you like me to put them in water for you,” the hostess offered, “and can we get you anything to drink?”

Logan ordered a bottle of champagne as he admired the beautifully set table. When the hostess left he took Veronica’s hand and led her to the deck. He lifted her left hand and kissed her knuckles above her 2 new rings.

“I love you,” he smiled and she kissed him softly, her ringed-hand on her cheek.

They both looked out at the ocean until a waiter arrived with the champagne in an ice bucket, 2 glasses and a platter of cheese, fruit and bread.

“Thank you,” Veronica said as he handed her a glass first before pouring one for Logan.

“Thanks, we will need 4 more glasses and probably another bottle of this when our guests arrive,” Logan instructed and the waiter nodded as he left.

For now it was just the two of them though and they sat together in one large Adirondack chair and sipped their champagne. Keith arrived next and a glass was procured for him.

“This is a little silly, but it struck me when I found it and well, I thought you should have it,” he awkwardly handed Veronica a small wrapped box.

“Way to sell it, Pops,” Veronica laughed as she tore at the paper.

Inside was a gorgeous silver picture frame, the kind that folds out and holds 2 pictures. One side was still blank, but on the left side was a picture of Veronica and Logan when they were 12. Logan had his arm around Veronica’s shoulder and Veronica had both her arms around Logan’s middle and they were grinning like fools.

“I’ll get one of the shots I took today at the beach developed for the other side,” Keith said wistfully.

“I…” Veronica stopped and took a breath, “I…thank you Dad,” she whispered.

“I loved you then, too. I didn’t know it, but look at me,” Logan ran a finger over the young boy who went through so much.

***555***

Mac & Wallace were the first to arrive and Dick was shockingly right behind them. Everyone fawned over Logan, they did think it was his welcome home dinner of course, so Veronica hung back and just waited for someone to notice.

It didn’t take long. The sun was almost gone, but a tiny beam of light glinted off his new ring.

“What is that?” Mac asked with a look of shock and glee. “Do you have one too?”

Veronica held up her left hand in admission.

“Gahhhhhh!!!!” Mac squealed and practically hurdled an Adirondack chair to hug Veronica.

“What is happening?” Wallace looked at Dick.

“We got married,” Logan clarified.

“To each other?” Dick asked confused.

“Yes, Dick, to each other,” Logan laughed and finished his glass of champagne.

“Without us?” Wallace frowned.

“You’re here now, this is the reception. The actual wedding was very quick, have a stuffed mushroom,” Veronica indicated the plate of appetizers the waitress appeared with as she hugged her best friend.

“You want this?” Wallace whispered.

“Yes, he didn’t twist my arm,” Veronica whispered back with a chuckle.

“OK, OK then,” Wallace nodded and hugged her again.

Dinner proceeded pleasantly after that, conversation fun and the food delicious.

“Try this,” Veronica offered Logan a bite of her salmon.

“Mmmm, good,” he smiled back as she stole a bite of his chicken.

“You two going on a honeymoon?” Dick asked.

Veronica said “No” as Logan nodded yes.

“Off to a good start, these two,” Mac elbowed Keith.

“We kind of already had a honeymoon,” Veronica said not noticing Logan’s contradiction.

“You might want to check with your husband, Ronnie,” Dick smiled.

“Wait, what?”

“Surprise?!?” Logan kissed her before she could object.

TBC…


	6. Saturday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Logan and Veronica head to MY favorite place on Earth for their honeymoon. If only Veronica knew where that was....

Saturday

Veronica woke up to the ambient hum of the airplane underneath her and got her bearings. It was still dark outside, 3:00 am according to her watch, at least it was in California, she had no idea where they were now, but it was dark.

Logan was asleep next to her, her legs curled up next to his in a large first-class seat. This was not how she imagined her wedding night, she wasn’t complaining, but she imagined having fewer clothes on and not as many people around.

After Logan surprised her with a honeymoon she went in to full detective mode: where were they going? When? For how long? Who was taking care of Pony?

Logan’s answers were infuriatingly vague: Somewhere nice, later, a while and Keith. At least the last one was definitive.

“Where are you taking me?” she whispered into the dark cabin.

All she knew was that they were currently on the red eye to Boston, but Logan would not give up any info other than that. She tried getting it out of the gate agent when Logan was in the bathroom, but the ticket to Boston was the end of the line on American Airlines, wherever they were going next was on a different airline.

She had her passport with her at Logan’s request, so they were leaving the country, but from Boston they could be going to Europe or the Bahamas or Canada. Does anyone honeymoon in Canada?

Logan had packed for her and assured her anything she needed that he forgot could be procured on sight. He had her pack her toiletries and essentials, but her clothes were already in a suitcase that she had somehow not noticed earlier in the day.

A flight attendant noticed she was awake.

“Do you need anything?” the young woman asked quietly.

“Could I have some water?” Veronica answered as she sat up and stretched a bit, she never was good at sleeping on planes.

The flight attendant returned with 2 bottles.

“In case your husband wakes up.” She smiled.

“My husband,” Veronica repeated with a smile.

Logan looked beautiful when he was asleep, and Veronica curled back up in her soft first-class blanket and watched him as she sipped her water, soon she was fading off to sleep again.

“We’re landing,” Logan leaned in and kissed her ear after he woke her gently.

“Hmmm, already?” she yawned.

“Yep, look,” he pointed out his window and the clear blue sky greeted her. They had flown out past the airport and were circling back around over the ocean.

“Wow, pretty. I love Boston, but where are we actually going?” she rubbed sleep out of her eyes.

“All will be revealed soon,” he kissed her soundly, “good morning, wife.”

“Good morning, husband,” she grinned.

Veronica was even more confused when they retrieved their luggage at baggage claim and headed for the exit.

“I thought we had another flight?”

“We do,” he winked.

When they got out to the greeting area there was a man with a sign, “Mr. & Mrs. Echolls” in pretty blue script. Logan waved in greeting.

“I’m Logan Echolls and this is my wife, Veronica,” he shook the man’s hand.

“Hello, welcome to Boston. I’m Ron, I’ll take your bags and lead you to the car.”

“Car?” Veronica poked Logan.

“Short trip.”

“This airport is called Logan, you know,” she teased him since he wasn’t giving up any clues on their trip.

“I did know,” he smiled as he squeezed her hand.

“I flew here a couple times during our 9 years of radio silence and it always made me sad,” she admitted.

Logan gave her a small sad smile.

“Here we are,” the driver opened the door to a small but fancy town car and stowed their bags in the back. “Short trip to the airfield.”

“Airfield? We’re at an airport,” Veronica was frustrated with herself now, she knew if she had had more than a couple hours notice she could have sorted this out.

“Patience, my darling wife.”

“You like calling me that,” she poked him in the side.

“Wife? Yes, yes I do.”

As promised the ride was only a few minutes and they did not leave the airport grounds, but they were not at one of the main terminals.

“Private charter?” she asked, and Logan nodded.

“Are you flying us to our honeymoon?” she said partially terrified and partially excited.

“No,” he laughed, “I could, but I am not. Come on.”

They exited the car as their driver transferred their bags to a cart and an airport employee approached.

“Mr. Echolls, hello sir, your plane and pilot are ready and your flight plan to….”

Logan held up a hand, “Destination is a secret,” he grinned his most winning smile.

“Your flight plan is filed,” the woman smiled, “you have your passports.”

“We do.”

“All of your requests have been covered, the plane is stocked as you requested. Would you like to board?”

“Yes, please,” Logan wrapped a hand around Veronica’s waist and followed the woman to a gorgeous plane.

It was bigger than Veronica imagined it would be. She was still trying to figure out their destination, she thought maybe Nantucket or Martha’s Vineyard, but this was a jet and a trip that short would not require a plane like this.

They boarded up the stairs of the plane and the interior of the cabin was stunning, cream colored leather couches and a good-sized table with comfortable looking chairs on each side. She could smell food and her stomach growled having slept through breakfast service on the other plane.

“Your bags are back in the bedroom. I’ll leave you to look around, the pilot is just finishing up in the office and he will be out to greet you.”

“Thank you,” Logan shook her hand and headed to the back of the cabin.

“Coming?” he cocked his head towards the bedroom that was apparently at the back of the plane.

“Not until I know where we’re going,” Veronica crossed her arms and tried for stern.

“Who’s ready to go to Bermuda?” a tall man with dark hair and a happy face bounded in to the cabin.

Veronica cracked up at the look of defeat on Logan’s face.

“What?” the man said.

“It was a surprise,” Logan rolled his eyes.

“Ooooops, how are you Mouth?” the man met Logan half way and gave him a big hug.

“I’m great, how are you Gonzo?”

“I am thrilled to meet the woman who makes you smile like that.”

“Veronica, this is Eric Gonzales – Gonzo. Gonzo, this is my wife, Veronica Mars.”

“So nice to meet you and thank you for finally letting me know where exactly I am going for my honeymoon,” she went to shake his hand and found herself in a bear hug.

“He’s a hugger,” Logan explained.

“You guys ready to go? We have about 20 minutes until clearance, so I am going to get settled. I’ll let you know when we are ready to roll.”

“Thanks, Gonzo!”

“Bermuda?” Veronica smiled.

“Yep, have you ever been?” he asked, suddenly worried it was her favorite spot with Piz or something, it was an easy flight from the East Coast and there were even cruises from New York and Boston.

“No, I hear it is beautiful though.”

“It is. Or at least it was when I was a kid. My mom took me once when Aaron was working overseas, just her and I, no staff or anything. It might have been the best week of my childhood.”

“Love you,” she took his hand and tugged him close to kiss him.

“Let’s take a quick tour,” he used their joined hands to lead her to the back.

“This is the galley, we have a full breakfast awaiting us and plenty of snacks and drinks and things,” he indicated a fridge and a cabinet warming station.

“Bathroom,” he opened a door to a lovely bathroom with a full-sized shower, “you can shower if you want, once we take off, or just wash up. Our stuff is back in the bedroom.”

“This is amazing, how did you make this happen on such short notice?”

“Luck,” Logan shrugged. “I called Gonzo on Wednesday when you took a shower to see if he was free and wanted to got o Bermuda. He has a place there and goes a lot. I told him I’d pay for the fuel and the food, if we could fly in style. I just had to get us to Boston.”

“That’s why the gate agent in LA thought I was nuts when asked where else we were going.”

“Yeah, if we were on another commercial airline she would have seen it,” he smiled.

“Sneaky, but I’ll allow it out of the romantic gesture clause of allowed sneakiness.”

“There is a romantic gesture clause? I am going to ace this marriage thing,” he pumped his fist.

“OK, folks,” Gonzo’s voice filled the plane, “we are 10 minutes from take-off, please settle in and fasten those belts. Our flying time is 1 hour and 47 minutes and the skies look nice and calm, so you can hop up to get food or freshen up once we clear our cruising altitude.”

Logan and Veronica took seats at the table, across from each other and fastened their seat belts. Veronica slipped her shoes off and lifted her feet into Logan’s lap.

“Ready?” he asked hopefully.

“Always,” she promised.

***555***

The flight was as smooth as promised and after eating a spectacular breakfast of crepes stuffed with eggs, cheese and vegetables and delicious dark coffee with sweet cream, Veronica stood and stretched.

“Shower?” she cocked her head to the side and smiled slyly.

“Together?” Logan looked suddenly perplexed.

Veronica frowned as Logan approached her.

“Married for 14 hours and you’re already turning down Mile High Club sex?” Veronica winced.

“I know this trip is not exactly how you pictured our first wedding night together and I know you aren’t the girliest of girls, but….I am not going to be able to share that little shower with you without making love to you and I want the first time as married people to be more special than that,” he blushed and licked at his bottom lip in the way he always did when he was embarrassed.

“You are such a sap,” Veronica batted at his chest, but smiled as she allowed him to hold her close.

“This is also a short flight and once I get my new wife naked, I plan to spend several hours ravishing her beautiful body.”

“That sounds more like my husband,” Veronica laughed as she stepped back, “I am still going to shower though, because, dude a shower on an airplane is rockin’.”

“Enjoy,” Logan kissed her forehead and returned to the galley for another cup of coffee.

***555***

“Friday, 1500 hours. Until then, have a blast and try to get out of your room long enough to enjoy this gorgeous island,” Gonzo advised as he said good-bye to Logan and Veronica on the tarmac in Bermuda.

“Thanks, Gonzo. It was a great flight,” Veronica hugged the big guy and left Logan to say his good-byes as she looked up at the bright blue sky and the warm island sun.

The flight in to Bermuda was beautiful, the ocean changing from blue to green and the shallow reef areas reflecting different shadows and light. The air smelled of jet fuel and sea spray and the breeze was humid and light.

“Ready?” Logan said as he wrapped an arm around her waist and walked along the cart with their luggage on it pushed by an airport employee. Customs was easy and soon Logan and Veronica were in the arrival hall of the small airport.

Another sign with their name on it held by a driver, this one was wearing Bermuda shorts, socks and shoes and a floral shirt.

“Welcome, to Bermuda,” the man said as Logan waved, his accent slightly British, slightly island.

“Thank you,” Logan shook his hand and the man took the luggage cart and led them to a minivan, Elbow Beach Resort and Spa printed on the side.

“I’m Daniel and I will be your driver for the week. Are you in a hurry to get to the resort or would you like a tour of the island?” he asked with aa smile as he helped Veronica in to the van.

Logan deferred to Veronica and she gladly accepted the offer of a tour.

“I’ve lived here my whole 60 years, I know all the good spots,” Daniel winked.

“Excellent,” Veronica smiled back and settled in to the bench seat curled in to Logan’s side.

The roads of Bermuda were windy and the island so narrow at some points you could see the ocean on both sides of the street. Everywhere she looked Veronica was stunned, the flora and fauna, the little pastel-colored houses with stark white roofs, the rocky cliffs down to turquoise water.

“You grow up by the ocean and you think you know what the ocean is,” Veronica said with a gasp as a stretch of water appeared before her, the most perfect color ever.

“Its really different than the Pacific,” Logan agreed.

Daniel peppered the tour with interesting facts and stories, but mostly he let the island speak for itself. After about 45 minutes, he turned into a long driveway to a gated resort. Daniel waved to the guard who returned the greeting and raised the gate.

“Welcome to Elbow Beach, it is a jewel amongst the many beautiful spots you saw today,” Daniel beamed and then picked up his radio, “Daniel approaching the main building with Mr. & Mrs. Echolls.”

They pulled up to a large colonial looking building, white with huge black-shuttered windows open to the island breeze. Veronica could spy a huge blue pool just beyond and a series of buildings in various sizes leading down to a long stretch of pink sand and the same gorgeous turquoise ocean, yellow umbrellas dotting the landscape.

A woman of about 50 appeared from the dark wooden doors and smiled at Daniel.

“We’ll be a few minutes, can you bring the bags down to the cottage, Daniel?” the woman asked.

“Of course. Lucia here will get you acquainted with the resort and I’ll be back to shuttle you down to the cottage,” Daniel assisted Veronica out of the van.

“Thank you,” Logan patted the man on the shoulder as Lucia led the way into the lobby.

“Welcome to Elbow Beach, you are in for a treat,” the woman said.

Veronica’s mouth fell as they stepped in to the lobby, a huge open floor-plan room that encompassed a traditional check-in area, a library, a small sitting room where a couple was having high tea and a wall of windows all levered open to the ocean beyond.

“This is beautiful,” Veronica looked up to the vaulted ceilings.

“Can I get you some water? Tea? A glass of wine?” Lucia offered.

“Water would be great,” Veronica replied, and Logan nodded his agreement.

“Gloria, water please,” Lucia asked a young woman as she walked toward a seating area by the window.

As the three sat around a small table Gloria appeared with 3 glasses and a pitcher of cucumber water, a plate with small shortbread cookies on it.

“We are so happy to have you with us for the week,”: Lucia began, “your cottage is all ready and as you heard, Daniel is delivering your luggage as we speak. You have access to all areas of the resort; your meals and drinks are all included, and Daniel will also go to town for groceries if you would like. We took the liberty of stocking some basics, but if you need anything further do not hesitate to call.”

“That is lovely, thank you,” Logan smiled, he knew the cottage was all inclusive, but this was very much above and beyond.

“Daniel or another driver is available to you 24/7 if you wish to go anywhere on the island. We can make reservations for you anywhere, there are guidebooks and whatnot in your cottage.”

“I made note of about 15 places I wanted to go just on the ride from the airport,” Veronica admitted.

“I hope you both enjoy your time here, at the resort and on the island. I understand this is a honeymoon?” Lucia said with a smile.

“Yes, ma’am,” Veronica smiled back.

“Congratulations, you have extreme privacy in your cottage, including private beach access. No one will bother you unless requested, you can just press a button for maid service and room service to the cottage is available at all hours. While we would love to have you out and about at the public areas, you could actually spend the whole week without ever seeing another guest, if you wish.”

“It sounds like we have the best of all worlds,” Veronica squeezed Logan’s hand, he could see the glee on her face and knew any frustration she had at the sudden surprise had passed.

Daniel returned and shuttled them down to the cottage. It was at the far end of the resort and they had to pass lots of buildings and gorgeous gardens on the short 10-minute ride.

“Let me give you a quick tour of your cottage,” Daniel hopped out of the van, spry for a 60-year-old.

“This little shed here has some beach stuff in it, floats, snorkels, fins and even a kayak,” Daniel opened the door to the neatly appointed little shed.

“You have a front door,” he pointed to a path of crushed stone that ended in a real front door with w bell, “and a back door,” he walked along another path to a grassy backyard with a large cement patio, 2 chaise lounges, a table and chairs with umbrella and a gas grill, but it was the pool that made Veronica stop short.

“We’d love to have you come up to the main pool, but this pool is very private and has the best view on the property,” Daniel noted as he walked around the slate pool deck pointing to the beach in one direction and a rocky cliff of trees and flowers in another.

The backdoor was a large slider that Daniel opened with a key, he then handed the keys over to Logan.

“This is the living room, dining room and through that arch the kitchen,” everything was white and airy, the appliances black stood in sharp contrast. The furniture was the same color as the ocean and Veronica could feel her blood pressure drop, her heart rate slow and a sense of calm wash over her just from being in the room.

“We have a very large fitness facility up at the spa, but you also have a gym here,” Daniel opened a room that had a treadmill, bike and elliptical, some free weights and a bosu ball.

“There is a sauna and steam room as well. And here is the master suite,” he opened a door to a huge bedroom as bright and white as the rest of the place, gauzy white curtains blowing in the breeze of the huge open windows.

“You have AC, but the breeze on this tip of the property is almost always cool and refreshing,” Daniel opened another door to reveal a closet bigger than Veronica’s apartment in New York, their bags standing there waiting.

Another door in the room revealed a huge bathroom with a sunken tub, a huge shower, toilet and twin sinks in a room with white walls and slate floors in light gray like river stones.

“This is unbelievable,” Veronica finally spoke again.

“It is our greatest pride,” Daniel smiled with genuine pride.

“I will leave you now, but I am sure Lucia told you I am just a phone call away. There is a book on the desk there with instructions for the TV and the AC and all the phone numbers you need. There is a safe in the bedroom closet. Do not hesitate to call if you need anything.”

Logan shook Daniel’s hand and slipped him a large tip before seeing him out. When he came back into the cottage Veronica was stuck in the same spot he left her.

“Is it too much?” Logan frowned.

“It is beyond too much, it is…. I don’t want to know how much it costs, right?”

“I wanted our honeymoon to be special, I wanted to spoil you a little bit and I have to admit this is even more than I expected,” Logan’s eyes went wide.

“I love you,” Veronica approached him and leapt in to his arms, “can we have sex now?”

Logan just laughed and carried her through the cottage to the bedroom. The bed was so soft and white and big it felt like a cloud after a long trip from the West Coast. Veronica let her husband strip her clothes off slowly, kissing each part of her he uncovered, reverently. She returned the favor.

“Mmmm, you smell good,” she buried her nose in his neck.

“Doubtful, I did turn down that shared shower,” he groaned as she bit down on the skin at his clavicle.

“You smell like you and I like that smell, a lot,” she guided his hand to her body, to her center, so he could feel just how much she liked it.

“Is that what chemistry is?” he asked as he suckled at her breast, his tongue moving in symphony with his fingers had her right where she needed to be.

“Yeah, fuck Logan,” she arched in to his mouth and moved against his hand until she was trembling in his arms.

“Yeah, that’s what chemistry is or just yeah,” he laughed as she caught her breath.

“Both,” she ducked her head so her hair would hide the blush at how easy he made her cum.

“Don’t hide from me,” he tucked her hair behind her ear, “I like that you like this,” he was still touching her, softer than before.

“I like you,” she admitted with a shy grin, “I like how you smell and how you feel. I like how you taste,” she said as she pushed him back in the comfortable bed and slid down his body.

Hours later, as Logan had promised, he rolled away from her panting and called for a breather.

“That was the wedding night I was expecting,” Veronica sucked in a deep breath and flung her arms up over her head.

“I’m sorry it was several hours later than you hoped,” he rolled on his side to face her and trailed his fingers down her stomach.

“I assure you, it was worth the wait, this place is truly amazing,” Veronica exclaimed as she scooted up a bit and looked out across the room to the floor to ceiling windows slid open to the ocean.

“Do you want to go exploring?” he asked as he leaned closer and kissed her cheek tenderly.

“Tomorrow,” she said with a grin, “tonight I don’t want to stray too far from right here.”

TBC…


	7. Honeymoon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A honeymoon in paradise!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry this final chapter is a week late. I blame the Red Sox. I am very sleep deprived in the name of baseball. I hope you enjoy the final chapter of this little story and that you are ready for another adventure in this universe sometime next month!

Sunday

Veronica woke with a stretch of her naked body in the big soft cloud of a bed. None of her limbs bumped in to her husband though. She yawned and cracked her eyes against the bright sunlight streaming in the room. No sign of Logan.

She moved to the enormous bathroom and freshened up, found a robe in the closet and padded out to the kitchenette. There was coffee made and an empty yogurt container on the counter. Veronica fixed a cup of coffee and then heard the unmistakable sound of a treadmill. 

Logan was running at an impressive pace, earbuds in, sweat glistening on his bare back. He saw her spying on him in the mirrored wall in front of him and smiled easily despite the significant effort he was putting in. He tugged an earbud free.

“Morning,” he greeted not breaking his stride.

“You’re working out?” she arched an eyebrow, “We are on our honeymoon, in paradise and you are working out?”

“I’ve been home almost a week, can’t break the habit. Besides, you were asleep, what else was I supposed to do?” Logan answered without any seeming difficulty even though the treadmill was set to numbers Veronica didn’t know were possible.

“You almost done?” she sipped her coffee.

“Another 15 or so,” he glanced at the screen.

“I’m going to find a bathing suit and some sunscreen.”

“Beach?” Logan asked, and she nodded.

 

Monday

“What’s that noise?” Veronica mumbled against Logan’s bare chest as she surfaced from sleep.

“Rain,” he said quietly as he kissed the top of her head.

“Oh,” she snuggled in closer to him, “whatever will we do with our day?”

“I doubt it will last all day,” Logan noted.

“But for now, it is raining,” Veronica smiled against his skin.

“For now, it is, in fact, raining,” he chuckled.

“So, we need an indoor activity.”

“Breakfast?” he offered, “Or we could use the gym.”

Veronica tilted her head up to show him how unfunny she found his ideas.

“Honeymoon remember?” she pinched his hip and he yapped.

“I seem to remember we just had sex a couple hours ago.”

“I was asleep a couple hours ago,” she feigned forgetfulness.

“You woke up and ravaged me,” he laughed as he rolled her under him and barraged her with kisses.

“Well, it is our honeymoon,” she shrugged, and he used the movement to capture one pert nipple between his lips.

“So you keep mentioning,” he said when he had finished thoroughly enjoying her breasts.

“Did you ever think we would be doing this?”

“Having seemingly endless sex? Yes, we are quite good at it,” he moved on to kissing down her stomach.

“Honeymooning,” she clarified.

“I had hoped,” he said honestly, “more than once, I had hoped.”

Veronica tugged on his chin, pulling him back up to her lips and kissed him soundly, spread her legs under him to allow him to fall perfectly between her hips and arched back against him, wanting him as close and as deep as he could be.

“Me too,” she admitted.

Tuesday

“Wait, you’re going to drive the boat?” Veronica asked confused as Logan talked with the Harbormaster.

“Yeah,” he said as he handed over his credit card to the young guy from the boat rental place.

“Just like that? They don’t know if you can drive a boat,” Veronica seemed slightly freaked out as she pointed to the Harbormaster and the rental person.

“I’m in the Navy,” Logan laughed.

“You fly a plane, you don’t drive the boat.”

“Pilot,” he corrected.

“Yes, you are a pilot! Not a boat driver,” she replied.

“You pilot a boat,” Logan smiled.

“Now you’re just being annoying,” Veronica smiled back, looking not very annoyed.

“The boat is really simple, we let most people take them out, with just a 30-minute lesson,” the young guy butted in.

“And I am in the Navy,” Logan added again.

“OK,” Veronica winced.

“I promise, I will take very good care of you, Veronica. I just got you to marry me, the last thing I want to do is disappear in to the Bermuda Triangle,” Logan boarded the boat and reached back to give her a hand.

“Oh my God, the Bermuda Triangle!” she exclaimed as if that never even occurred to her.

“Have fun!” the guy from the boat company seemed glad to have them leave.

Logan had woken Veronica up this morning with a huge grin on his face. Told her to get dressed in a bathing suit and sundress and bring lots of sunscreen and her book before Daniel came to drive them to town.

Daniel had handed over a big hamper of what Veronica assumed was lunch and within minutes Veronica was on a boat with her husband heading out in to the beautiful blue sea.

Logan seemed to know what he was doing, he was looking at a GPS type thing and steering them through the harbor to a more open area. There were a lot of boats on the water, but everyone seemed to be putting along slowly.

“We are away from the commuter ferries and cargo ships,” Logan read her mind, “this is mostly leisure craft. I’m heading to a specific spot that Daniel told me about.”

“OK,” Veronica hovered.

“Relax, have a seat,” Logan pointed out the long bench seat near the back.

Veronica sat in a corner, pulling her legs up on the bench. She thought about pulling out her book, but the view was so glorious she couldn’t look away. Bermuda had lots of rock outcroppings and reefs and nooks and crannies and before she knew what was happening they were passing through a narrow opening and in to a completely secluded inlet.

The boat slowed, and the motor stopped humming, Logan dropped the anchor and joined her on the bench.

“Nice, huh?” he said against her ear as he took in the beautiful water all around them.

“Amazing,” she agreed.

“Wanna go in? There are masks and snorkels and Daniel said there was good snorkeling here.” Logan hopped up and found the bin with masks and snorkels, he lowered the ladder at the side and soon they were bobbing along in the water, fixing their masks and snorkels in place.

Veronica paddled a bit and instantly saw a school of tiny dark purple fish skitter away, it made her smile so much she almost took in some water. She saw Logan approach and he pointed toward some rocks, they swam side by side through the clear blue water towards a large brightly colored parrot fish, Veronica’s eyes went wide as the gorgeous fish swam right to them and brushed her shoulder.

The pair swam and snorkeled for an hour or so before Logan asked if Veronica was ready for lunch, they climbed the ladder back up to the boat’s deck and toweled off.

“That was so cool,” Veronica said as she wrung her hair out over the side of the boat.

“I love snorkeling, it’s so peaceful.”

“That is one of the things I love the most about you, always have,” Veronica said as she opened a bottle of wine.

“My love of brightly colored fish?”

“No, you are such a dichotomy Logan Echolls. You fly fighter jets and enjoy the quiet calm of snorkeling. You always had a peaceful side, even when you were a psychotic jackass…”

“Ahhh, the good old days,” Logan grinned as he unwrapped a sandwich and handed it to Veronica in exchange for a glass of wine.

“I’m serious. Neptune could be burning down, and I’d find you reading a book in an empty classroom.”

“It’s how I coped at home. When things were really bad I retreated. I mean, I was no saint and I did my fair share of provoking him, but I also knew when to tuck my tail between my legs and hide.”

“I hate what you went through. I hate that I made some of it worse,” Veronica uncovered a container of salad.

“You never made things worse, they were what they were. Even when I was my worst to you, I could still remember us being friends, I could remember that at some point I was worth your friendship and I felt better even as I pushed you as far away as I could.”

“We were too young to deal with all that, it’s amazing we’ve turned out so normal,” Veronica winked at him.

“We have a chance to be, a real chance.”

The pair spent the afternoon on the water, finding prettier and prettier places to snorkel or just take pictures and around 4:00 pm they returned the boat to the rental place, the lunch hamper to Daniel and got a ride to Hamilton to do some shopping and have dinner.

“This is the place I was reading about,” Veronica said as she led Logan into a small store front shop, “they have a perfumery on the island.”

“It’s called Lily,” Logan smiled.

“Lili, with an i, but yes,” Veronica squeezed his hand, “all the scents are local to the island, made here. I thought it would be a cool souvenir, I could remember our trip every time I smelled it.”

“Good idea,” he agreed.

“Oh hello,” a woman appeared from the backroom, “welcome to Lili Bermuda. Can I help you?”

“I think I am just looking, or smelling, I guess,” Veronica smiled.

“Let me know if you need any help, take your time. Where are you folks visiting from?”

“California,” Logan answered.

“How nice, my daughter goes to Stanford,” she said as she arranged some bags behind the counter.

“I went to Stanford,” Veronica said, “it is a great school.”

“She loves it there,” the woman smiled.

Veronica was smelling all the options in the shop, they had these glass containers, almost like candle holders with cotton balls in them so you could smell without spritzing the scent on yourself. She picked one up and looked at the label and smiled, sniffing it and holding it close.

“Lo, I like this one,” she handed it over and saw the light in his eyes when he saw the name of it.

“Yeah?” he smelled it and smiled, “it will smell lovely on you.”

“Is it OK?” she asked quietly.

“Of course,” he cupped a hand on her shoulder.

“It won’t make you sad?”

“No, she never wore it as perfume, she’d have them in the house sometimes, but if you like it it would be great on you,” he sniffed it again.

“Can I have the set with the perfume and lotion, in Oleander?” Veronica asked.

 

Wednesday

“We have our own private beach, where I can rub sunscreen on you without fear of onlookers,” Logan pointed out as Veronica packed their beach bag.

“I am loving all this quality time with you alone, I am, trust me,” Veronica sidled up to him and squeezed his ass to assure him of just how much she enjoyed being alone with him, “but I want to explore the rest of the resort, just a few hours and I promise I will make it up to you on that very private chaise lounge later,” she pointed her sunglasses towards the patio.

“I suppose,” Logan sighed dramatically but with a wink.

They opted to walk along the beach instead of getting a ride and the hot sun was a challenge. When they made it to the main resort beach they found 2 chairs and an umbrella free and flopped down.

“Water…” Veronica croaked and suddenly a man in white shorts and a crisp yellow polo arrived with a pitcher of water and 2 cups.

“You must be Mr. & Mrs. Echolls, saw you walking over from the cottage,” the young man said as she poured the water.

“And you must be my knight in shining armor,” Veronica grinned as she greedily took the water and gulped it down.

“It is hot today. Can I get you anything else?”

“I’d like something, but I’m not ready for a cocktail just yet,” Veronica said.

“We have a sparkling mango lemonade that is really good,” he suggested.

“Sold,” Veronica smiled.

“And you, Sir?”

“I’d like an iced tea please,” Logan replied.

“Coming right up.”

“Want to cool off?” Logan asked as he stripped off his sweaty tee shirt.

“I rarely cool off when you take your shirt off,” Veronica chuckled, but she stood and slipped her cover up off.

Before she knew it, Veronica was off the ground, over Logan’s shoulder laughing as he carried her through the beach crowd to the water. The ocean in Bermuda was the perfect temperature, warm enough to walk right in but cool enough to be refreshing. When he was deep enough he flipped Veronica off his shoulder and she squealed as she plunged in to the water.

“That was not nice,” she spluttered as she surfaced.

“You aren’t hot any more are you?” Logan asked before ducking under the water to cool off himself.

Veronica had to agree the dip in the ocean was the perfect antidote to the heat.

“You’re still pretty hot,” Veronica flirted with her wet husband.

Logan laughed out loud and tugged her close enough to kiss.

They floated around for a bit, Veronica pushing her toes off Logan’s lower back to move away, her limbs spread like a starfish, her eyes closed against the sun and her blonde hair floating out behind her like a corona. Logan watched her and the joy he felt was completely unprecedented. He had honestly never been as happy as he was in that very moment. It seemed every day his happiness ratcheted up a notch, was the universe finally paying them back for all the pain?

“Oooh, our drinks,” Veronica’s voice shook him alert and she slid a hand along his waist as she moved past him towards the shore. Logan watched as she tugged her black bikini bottoms which had slipped a little in her tumble in to the ocean and as his eyes followed her form he noticed a bright yellow plastic shovel floating in the water.

Logan grabbed the shovel and scanned the shore, a little girl, maybe 2 was plopped in the sand with a big pink sun hat on her head, some beach toys scattered around.

“Veronica, I’ll be right back,” Logan pointed the shovel towards the baby.

A young man was crouched down next to the baby as Logan approached he looked up.

“Did you lose a shovel?” Logan asked as he shielded his eyes against the sun.

Probably,” the guy laughed as he stood up, “the tide came in a bit and we had to scurry. Thanks,” he took the shovel and shook Logan’s hand.

“Your little girl is adorable,” Logan was the one to crouch down now.

“Her name is Kaylie,” the guy said.

“Hi Kaylie,” Logan smiled at the toddler who said hi and reached out a sand covered hand and patted Logan’s cheek.

The little girl was soon distracted by her multitude of toys, Logan left her and her dad with a wave and the recovered shovel to find Veronica right where he left her.

“Flirting with toddlers now,” Veronica teased, but he the look on her face wasn’t teasing, it was soft and full of love.

“What can I say, the ladies love me,” he kissed her before wrapping an arm around her shoulder and pulling her close.

 

Thursday

Veronica may never have been more relaxed in her life than she was at this moment. Daniel dropped her back at the cottage after a 4-hour spa afternoon that Logan insisted upon. She didn’t really want to spend 4 hours away from him, but she had to admit the sauna, the seaweed wrap, the massage and the mani-pedi was the most indulgent thing she had done in maybe ever.

As she moved around to the back patio she could smell food and her stomach rumbled. She had had a nice lunch at the spa before her treatments, but that was over 4 hours ago and the smell of something grilled was very enticing.

There was Logan in shorts and a tee shirt, his aviators on at the grill singing along to Queen. He noticed her and grinned in that way that never failed to make her stomach drop.

“Hey babe, I thought you might have left me for the masseuse,” he closed the lid on the grill and turned some knobs.

She noticed the outside table set for two with flowers and wine.

“Thalia was lovely, but she was old enough to be your grandmother, so I decided to stick with you. What’s all this?” Veronica took the wine Logan handed her and clinked her glass with his before taking a sip of the crisp bright Sauvignon Blanc.

“It’s our last night here, so I thought I’d make us dinner and we could enjoy the back yard. Daniel went and got some groceries for me,” Logan indicated a nice salad and some bread on the table, “some local fish and veggies on the grill.”

“What are we going to do without Daniel when we go home?” Veronica laughed.

“I thought of offering him a job, but he really likes it here.”

“Yeah, if I lived here I would not be moving any time soon,” Veronica sipped her wine and looked out at the water.

“You really like it here?” Logan asked as he stood behind her, his body heat radiating through her thin sundress.

“Yeah, it’s perfect,” she leaned back into his warmth.

“We’ll come back,” he promised and kissed her temple.

“What did you do while I was being relaxed to death,” she asked.

“I took a run on the beach, read my book, made a salad,” he shrugged as he ticked things off, “not much.”

“Thank you for pampering me today,” she turned and kissed him softly.

“You’ll be back at work in a few days, I wanted you to enjoy the end of your vacation.”

“I’ve enjoyed every minute of my vacation.”

They ate dinner and chatted about what they did while they were apart, what they were going to do over the weekend when they got back home. They finished all the food and Logan cleared their plates and refilled their wine before taking his seat again.

“I have another week off, before I have to go back to the Flight Readiness Center. I thought I might start looking for a house,” he said hesitantly.

“OK,” Veronica looked at him with a smile.

“Really?”

“Yeah, I mean I want to see it before you buy something, but if you want to start the process.”

“You don’t mind leaving the apartment, I know it is technically your place.”

“It’s been our place and I love it, but logistically we need more space. You’re now a permanent fixture,” she smirked, “and Pony needs more room, like maybe a stable,” she joked.

“Great,” Logan sounded relieved.

“Now, dinner was delicious, and I believe I spied dessert in the fridge,” Veronica said, and Logan nodded, “but I am not quite ready for more food. Maybe we could take a swim,” she tilted her head towards the private pool.

Before Logan could point out that they were not wearing bathing suits, Veronica pulled her sundress off her body.

“Veronica….” Logan sounded both concerned and turned on.

“It’s dark now, just these little twinkly lights. No one can see us,” she reached back and unsnapped her bra and Logan was out of his chair, kissing her like crazy.

“Clothes, off,” she instructed between kisses.

For someone who seemed hesitant a moment ago, Logan was naked very quickly and led Veronica into the pool where she proceeded to swim away from him.

“Where are you going?” he laughed.

“I want to actually swim.”

“We could have done that with our clothes on,” he reasoned.

“I like the way the water feels on my body,” she reasoned as she did a modified breast stroke back towards him.

She stood up and wrapped her arms around him kissing him again. They spent an hour in the pool, floating, swimming, kissing, touching and just when Logan was about to go crazy, Veronica swam to the stairs and climbed out of the pool. The lights from the pool and the patio made her glow and twinkle and Logan was struck by how incredibly beautiful she is.

“What?” she asked shyly.

“You’re stunning,” his voice was low and deep.

Veronica just smiled and bent down to pick up her dress, it’s thin cotton sticking to her wet skin as she wrung out her hair.

“You coming?” she asked as she slid the door to their bedroom open and walked back to the bathroom.

Logan found her in the big stall shower, rinsing off the pool. He joined her quickly, his lips finding that spot behind her ear that makes her moan, his hands cupping her ass and lifting her into his arms. There was no need for any more foreplay, she joined their bodies together easily and sighed in to his mouth as he filled her completely.

“Dinner was really good,” she whispered in his ear.

“If cooking for you gets you naked this easily I will cook every night,” he teased as he moved her closer and closer to the edge.

When she shouted his name, it echoed around the shower and made her laugh as she clung to him harder, held him tighter, not wanting to ever let go.

The End

 

Up Next: Part 2 of this series will be called “Then Comes Marriage” and should begin the week of US Thanksgiving. I have a business trip between now and then that will have most of my attention.


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